MAY 2, 1943

Full News Archive

• Headline: Propagation Techniques for Rhododendrons. Impact: If rhododendrons had never been layered, the world might have been deprived of those Instagram moments where people pose with their floral arrangements. Imagine the chaos of a world with no flower filters!. Fact: Rhododendrons are often referred to as 'rhodies' by those who feel the need to abbreviate everything in their lives, including plant names.
• Headline: Advancements in Military Medicine History. Impact: The miracles of military medicine eventually led to the invention of the band-aid, which became the go-to solution for everything from scraped knees to emotional wounds from a bad breakup. Fact: Did you know that before modern medicine, soldiers were often treated with a mixture of whiskey and leeches? Talk about a bad day at the 'office'!.
• Headline: NORTHERN IRELAND GETS NEW PREMIER; Sir Basil Brooke, 54, Named to Succeed J.M. Andrews, Who Resigned PARTY RIFT INSPIRED MOVE Prime Minister Expected to Announce Composition of Cabinet by Tuesday. Impact: Sir Basil Brooke's rise to power was the first step in a long, complicated saga of political maneuvers that would eventually lead to the world's longest-running political soap opera: Northern Ireland. Fact: Sir Basil was known for his charming personality and his ability to dodge questions like a pro—qualities that are still revered in politicians today!.
• Headline: CALLS ON OWNERS; Secretary Tells Mine Operators to Prepare to Open the Pits WARNS ON TROOP USE He Also Asks Eastman to Bar Unnecessary Railroad Travel ICKES GETS POWER TO OPERATE MINES. Impact: Ickes taking power to operate mines was a pivotal moment that set the stage for a long line of bureaucrats thinking they could fix every problem by simply shouting orders into a megaphone. Fact: The phrase 'Ickes gets power' is often misunderstood as 'Ike gets power,' which led to a lot of confusion in the history books!.
• Headline: Anthracite Mines Closed; 80,000 Standing By Lewis; Hard-Coal Miners Join Bituminous Strike, Quietly Await Word From Union -- Prepared to Ignore Roosevelt 80,000 QUIT WORK IN HARD COAL PITS. Impact: The anthracite mines closing sparked a labor movement that would have people shouting 'No work, no peace!' long before it became a catchy protest slogan. Fact: 80,000 miners walking off the job is actually the precursor to the world's first 'Come Back to Work' motivational seminar. Spoiler: It didn't work.
• Headline: Word Statistics; Dictionary Suggested to Show Changes in Usage. Impact: The proposal for a dictionary to show usage changes led to the realization that language is as fluid as a politician's promises—constantly changing and often hard to pin down. Fact: The word 'literally' is now used so much in figurative speech that it has become the most ironically used word in the English language. Literally.