SEPTEMBER 12, 1942

Full News Archive

• Headline: Municipal Funding Proposals in 1942. Impact: The $3,769,753 sought by municipalities sparked a series of funding competitions that ultimately led to the creation of the Municipal Olympics, where cities competed not in sports, but in how much money they could ask for without actually needing it. Spoiler: Cuyahoga County won every year.. Fact: In a shocking twist, the amount requested this week is still less than what most municipalities spend on coffee for their morning meetings..
• Headline: John J. Reilly's Impact in 1942. Impact: John J. Reilly's name being misspelled led to a massive increase in Reilly-themed merchandise, sparking the Reilly Renaissance of the 1940s, where every second person on the street claimed to be a Reilly, much to the confusion of historians.. Fact: Reilly is a name that has been notoriously hard to spell, often leading to the creation of more variations than acceptable. Congratulations to the Reilly family for becoming a walking Scrabble game!.
• Headline: Sales Forecasts Dim Amidst Uncertainty. Impact: The dismal sales expectations triggered a nationwide movement of producers to form 'Expectation Management Committees,' which ultimately led to the invention of the phrase 'at least we're not as bad as we could be.'. Fact: Dun's Survey has never been known for its optimism, which is why the phrase 'glass half-empty' was coined in the same boardroom..
• Headline: British Madagascar Drive Meeting Little Opposition; MADAGASCAR PUSH MOVING SMOOTHLY. Impact: The smooth progress of the British Madagascar drive fueled a series of travel brochures that promised exotic adventures, inadvertently leading to the rise of the 'Madagascar' movie franchise and countless confused tourists.. Fact: Madagascar is not just famous for its lemurs; it's also known for the number of people who mistakenly thought it was a tropical paradise rather than a strategic military location..
• Headline: NEW YORKER FOUND SHOT; Fred W. Ficken Dead at Summer Home in Pleasant Plains. Impact: The mysterious shooting death of Fred W. Ficken led to the first-ever 'Detective Reality Show' where armchair detectives tried to solve the case from the comfort of their living rooms, paving the way for an entire genre of TV programming.. Fact: Police investigations have now become less about solving crimes and more about who can come up with the most outrageous conspiracy theories on social media..
• Headline: SELF-MADE 'COLONEL' ENDS BRIEF CAREER; Masquerading Photographer Is Caught After Three Months. Impact: The self-made 'colonel' saga inspired a wave of amateur military rank enthusiasts, leading to a national crisis where every third person claimed to be a 'general' of some sort, resulting in chaos at Starbucks.. Fact: Masquerading as a colonel is a lot like pretending to be an adult: it works until someone asks you to do something real..
• Headline: WIDENS PREMIUMS ON CLOTH EXPORTS; OPA Extends Rule Adding 7% to Price to Cover More Classes of Textiles BOTTLES STANDARDIZED WPB Adds Containers for Wine and Jellies to List -- Other War Agency Action. Impact: The widening of premiums on cloth exports led to an explosive growth in the black market for textiles, with tailor shops becoming the new speakeasies of the fashion world. Who knew being a fabric smuggler could be so glamorous?. Fact: Standardized bottles for wine and jellies were a delight, but let’s be honest: the real excitement was in trying to convince people that jelly could ever be a serious contender in the export game..