MARCH 26, 1942

Full News Archive

• Headline: Near Accord on Mexican Oil Issue. Impact: This agreement over Mexican oil led to a series of oil booms and busts, ultimately causing a global obsession with gas prices. Who knew a couple of diplomats could crank up the world's anxiety over the price of petrol?. Fact: Did you know that this event was the spark that ignited countless road trips and gas station coffee runs? Thanks, foreign ministers!.
• Headline: Kaiser Company Secures Major Tanker Contract. Impact: The construction of these tankers not only supplied the war effort but also paved the way for a future where every family would eventually own a minivan... because priorities!. Fact: Fun fact: if you stacked all 56 tankers end to end, they would probably float right into the nearest traffic jam.
• Headline: FUN TO OFFSET WAR ADVISED FOR CHILD; Mark E. McCloskey Says We Are Fighting for Generation We Are Bringing Up FORUM SERIES OPENED Educators and Welfare Aides Discuss Recreation Needs in Time of Stress. Impact: This push for children's recreation during wartime birthed the modern-day 'playground'—a place where kids learn to climb and fall while their parents are too busy scrolling on their phones. Fact: Fun fact: The term 'fun' was officially registered in 1942, leading to all sorts of convoluted debates about what constitutes 'fun'—spoiler: it didn't involve studying!.
• Headline: PREFERRED STOCK ON MARKET TODAY; Republic Drill and Tool Co. to Distribute 125,000 Shares Through Underwriters. Impact: The distribution of preferred stock opened the floodgates for corporate jargon that still haunts us today; thank you, Republic Drill and Tool Co., for making meetings even more tedious!. Fact: Did you know that preferred stockholders were the original kings and queens of corporate hierarchy? They still complain about their 'preferred' status not getting them a faster coffee line.
• Headline: 2 MERCHANT SHIPS SUNK BY U-BOATS; 37, All but Captain, Escape U.S. Craft in Lifeboats and Are Rescued at Sea VESSEL SMASHED INTO 'V' 34 of British Crew Landed at Norfolk -- Two Dead, 17 Others Believed Lost. Impact: The sinking of these merchant ships became a rallying cry for the U.S. to bolster its naval defenses, which later inspired countless action movies where the hero always saves the day... and the ship. Fact: Sadly, the captain was the only one left behind. Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time—he must have been the only one not following the lifeboat drill!.
• Headline: Vichy Buys the Palatial Mitchell Mansion On Fifth Ave. for Use as Consulate General. Impact: The acquisition of the Mitchell Mansion as a consulate showed that Vichy France had a taste for the finer things, ironically giving them a luxurious place to plan their downfall. Fact: Did you know that the Mitchell Mansion later became a hotspot for spies, who decided that the best place to plot was right under the nose of the upper crust? Talk about hiding in plain sight!.
• Headline: HOUSE TRIMS ITEMS FROM INTERIOR BILL; Salary Changes in Ickes's Office Eliminate Raushenbush. Impact: The trimming of items from the interior bill was just the beginning of a long tradition of legislative diet plans—where Congress constantly tries (and fails) to cut the fat. Fact: Fun fact: 'Raushenbush' was the name of a popular snack in Congress, but thankfully it was eliminated along with the salary changes. Who knew trimming salaries could lead to healthier lunch options?.
• Headline: Red Cross First-Aid Kits Given to 149 Firehouses. Impact: The donation of first-aid kits to firehouses may have inadvertently led to an uptick in 'hero complex' firefighters, who now believe they can save everyone from paper cuts to house fires. Fact: Did you know that firehouses were the original first responders? They were also the first to discover that Band-Aids don't work well on third-degree burns!.
• Headline: 4 Claim Ring Found in 1939. Impact: This claim ring discovery sparked a trend in conspiracy theories that would plague mankind for decades, leading to the invention of reality TV shows about treasure hunting and lost artifacts. Fact: Did you know that the original claimants were actually just four friends trying to win a bet on who could find the shiniest rock? Talk about a historic treasure hunt gone wrong!.