DECEMBER 26, 1943

Full News Archive

• Headline: Winter Care for Rhododendrons. Impact: If only we had protected our shrubs from winter, perhaps they would have formed a union and demanded better soil conditions. Imagine a world where rhododendrons led a botanical revolution.. Fact: Rhododendrons can live for decades, so if they could talk, they’d probably have the best gossip about historical figures who visited their gardens..
• Headline: Eisenhower's Strategic Decisions in Algiers. Impact: Eisenhower's plans being debated in Algiers set off a chain reaction that eventually led to a worldwide obsession with political debates, culminating in reality TV. Thanks, Ike!. Fact: The real question is: Did Eisenhower ever reveal who he was taking to the post, or was it just a really elaborate game of 'Guess Who?'.
• Headline: BEFORE I WAKE. By Margaret Echard. 243 pp. New York: Crime Club-Doubleday, Doran & Co. $2.. Impact: Margaret Echard's book 'Before I Wake' inspired a generation of writers to ponder the existential dread of waking up, which eventually led to the invention of coffee.. Fact: Echard probably didn't realize that her book would be the reason so many people would hit the snooze button for decades to come..
• Headline: WRITING ON WILLKIE DENIED BY HOPKINS; He Says He Does Not Know Dr. Lee -- Sparks Insists He Has the 'Original' Missive. Impact: The drama surrounding Willkie's letter made everyone realize that political intrigue is just like high school gossip, but with more serious consequences — and less fun.. Fact: Isn't it comforting to know that political drama has been a thing long before social media made it 10 times more annoying?.
• Headline: Rabbit's Ears; TELLTIME THE RABBIT. BY William Hall. Pictures by Charlotte Steiner. Unpaged. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company. $1.. Impact: The tale of 'Telltime the Rabbit' became a cultural phenomenon, leading to an entire generation of rabbits with time management skills—because who doesn’t want a punctual pet?. Fact: If only rabbits could tell time, they’d probably still be late to every carrot party..
• Headline: Arctic Giant; THE BIGGEST BEAR ON EARTH. By Harold McCracken. Illustrated by Paul Bransom. 114 pp. New York: Frederick A. Stokes Company. $2.. Impact: The discovery of the 'Biggest Bear on Earth' led to a spike in bear-themed merchandise. Who knew bear hugs could become a multi-million-dollar industry?. Fact: This bear was so big that it probably could have hosted its own reality show, 'Keeping Up with the Kodiaks.'.
• Headline: SAVING GIFT PLANTS; If They Receive Proper Care, Poinsettia And Cyclamen May Have along Life. Impact: Saving gift plants like poinsettias may have inadvertently sparked a global obsession with houseplants, forever changing the way we pretend to care for living things.. Fact: Poinsettias are so resilient that they could probably survive a zombie apocalypse—if only they had a little more sunlight and a lot less neglect..
• Headline: Kreisler to Aid Salvation Army Drive In Recital at Metropolitan Opera House'. Impact: Kreisler's recital for the Salvation Army became a blueprint for future benefit concerts, where musicians learned that giving back is always in style — and maybe even more lucrative.. Fact: Imagine if Kreisler had just played the 'Happy Birthday' song for an hour—he could have raised even more money!.