JANUARY 31, 1943

Full News Archive

• Headline: Publication of 'Twig' by E. Orton Jones. Impact: If only Elizabeth Orton Jones had written a blockbuster, we might have avoided the Great Literary Drought of the 1950s. Instead, we got more long-winded poetry and fewer bestsellers. Thanks, Twig.. Fact: Did you know that 'Twig' was originally an allegory about the resilience of nature? Or was it just a book about a stick? Who can tell?.
• Headline: British Bombers Strike Berlin Amid Tensions. Impact: Those British fliers hitting Nazi Germany caused such a stir that it led to a 20th-century series of 'talks' that were basically just a bunch of guys in suits arguing about whose bomb was bigger.. Fact: Did you know that Goering and Goebbels were actually just trying to start a band called 'The Axis of Evil'? Spoiler: They never made it past the rehearsal stage..
• Headline: END OF A MYTH. Impact: The end of this myth about economic strategies led to countless confused economists who spent years debating why people still weren't happy with their jobs. Thanks for nothing, Ed!. Fact: Did you know that comparing totalitarian and democratic methods of reducing unemployment is like comparing apples and oranges? Except one is a fruit and the other is a political nightmare..
• Headline: Gets Five Years as Draft Evader. Impact: The sentencing of this draft evader led to a rash of 'Escape from Reality' films in the 1970s. We all know how well that turned out, right?. Fact: Fun fact: He probably thought he could just hide out and binge-watch TV like everyone else. Too bad there was no Netflix back then!.
• Headline: ALL MILK BOTTLES CALL FOR DEPOSIT; One Cent on Home Deliveries Set for This Area in Order Effective Tomorrow. Impact: This milk bottle deposit law was the kickstart for a whole new generation of recycling programs. So next time you return that bottle, remember: you owe it all to some bureaucrat’s bright idea.. Fact: Did you know that the one-cent deposit was actually a secret ploy to get people to start hoarding bottles? And look at us now, we still hoard!.
• Headline: GARDENING -- WITHOUT BUNK. By Sam J. Boal. 145 pages. New York: G.P. Putnam Sons. $1.75.. Impact: Sam J. Boal's gardening book may have inspired a generation of backyard gardeners, leading to the rise of the hipster farmer. You're welcome, artisanal kale enthusiasts.. Fact: Did you know that 'Gardening—Without Bunk' is actually a euphemism for 'Don't Waste Your Time on Fads'? Take that, avocado toast!.
• Headline: The Huge Task Of the Railroads; Director Eastman of the ODT explains a critical situation and calls for more civilian cooperation.. Impact: The railroad crisis of this era led to the eventual invention of the commuter train, which then led to people being eternally late to everything. Thanks, Eastman!. Fact: Fun fact: The only thing more critical than the railroad situation was the number of people who just wanted to get out of the office..
• Headline: ABROAD. Impact: The USSR's drive to reclaim its territory during World War II caused a ripple effect that led to the Cold War, which then inspired decades of terrible spy movies. Thanks for the entertainment, I guess!. Fact: Did you know that the term 'Cold War' was coined because everyone was too frightened to turn up the heat on their diplomatic negotiations?.