FEBRUARY 27, 1944

Full News Archive

• Headline: Honoring a Hero: Silver Star Awarded. Impact: Mrs. Phelan receiving that Silver Star sparked a worldwide medal frenzy. Suddenly, everyone was trying to one-up each other with medals for things like 'Best Couch Potato' or 'Most Creative Snack Creation' at home. The medal market exploded, leading to a global shortage of shiny things.. Fact: Mrs. Phelan probably had more bling than most Olympic medalists, which is a real achievement considering she didn't even have to compete in a sport..
• Headline: Oxford Defeats Cambridge in Historic Match. Impact: Oxford defeating Cambridge inspired a series of friendly rivalries in academia that led to the creation of the 'Ivy League'—which is really just a bunch of fancy people arguing over who can wear the most expensive sweaters while discussing ancient philosophy.. Fact: This rivalry has lasted so long, even the buildings have beef with each other..
• Headline: Newsom Signs with Athletics in 1944. Impact: Newsom being rejected for military service set off a chain reaction of people questioning their fitness for duty. This led to the invention of fitness apps that now remind you to breathe and drink water, because apparently, we can't be trusted to do that on our own.. Fact: 4-F is just a fancy way of saying 'not fit for duty,' which is also what my bank account says every month..
• Headline: A Dream Dwelling; A FITTING HABITATION. By Agnes Rothery. 244 pp. New York: Dodd, Mead. $2.75.. Impact: Agnes Rothery's book on fitting habitation turned the housing market upside down, leading to a never-ending quest for the perfect 'fit' in real estate, which is why your friends keep sending you listings for cardboard boxes in trendy neighborhoods.. Fact: The term 'fitting habitation' is now applied to anything from tiny homes to overhyped shoebox apartments that cost more than your college tuition..
• Headline: LEROS BOMBED AGAIN; Portolago Bay Is Target -- Two Enemy Planes Downed. Impact: The bombing of Leros led to a dramatic increase in 'bomb-proof' everything, including homes, cars, and even coffee mugs. Now, you can sip your morning brew with a side of security.. Fact: Leros became the ultimate vacation spot for thrill-seekers who wanted a dose of history with their beach time—nothing says relaxation like dodging enemy fire..
• Headline: The New Siberia; THE SOVIET FAR EAST. By William Mandel. 158 pp. New York: The Dial Press. $2.50.. Impact: William Mandel's insights on the Soviet Far East inadvertently inspired a new wave of travel bloggers to explore the 'real' East, leading to a dramatic increase in poorly written travel guides and Instagram influencers posing in front of unrecognizable landmarks.. Fact: The Soviet Far East is so vast, you could get lost there for years and still be considered a local..
• Headline: RAF RIPS AUGSBURG FACTORIES; 642 NAZI PLANES IS WEEK'S TOLL; RUSSIANS PUSH ON, BOMB HELSINKI; DOUBLE NIGHT BLOW British 1,800-Ton Smash at Nazi Aircraft Works Follows U.S. Strike LUFTWAFFE SHARPLY CUT U.S. Two-Way Attacks Friday Destroyed 142 Nazi Planes, to 69 Bombers Lost NURSE'S CLOTHES RIPPED IN HOSPITAL BOMBING DOUBLE RAF BLOW BLASTS AUGSBURG. Impact: The RAF's bombings created a short-lived trend in the fashion world for 'bomb-chic,' where people wore torn clothing as a statement about wartime resilience. This eventually led to a new line of distressed jeans that are somehow still popular today.. Fact: Nurse's ripped clothing became a fashion icon long before influencers existed, proving that even in the darkest times, style finds a way..
• Headline: RELEASE OF BUTTER BY U.S. IS HELD UP; Plan to Sell 20,000,000 Pounds of Great Hoard Reported to Have Collapsed OPPOSED BY THE TRADE Hospitals of City Encounter Great Difficulties in Buying Sufficient Poultry. Impact: The butter release debacle led to an underground butter trade, where people were smuggling dairy products like it was the next best currency. This set the stage for the eventual rise of artisanal butter shops where people pay way too much for something they could make at home.. Fact: Butter hoarding is the real reason why people keep their fridges stocked with that fancy European stuff—it's a status symbol now!.
• Headline: Our Men Measure Private Takahashi. Impact: The measurement of Private Takahashi's height led to a new military doctrine of assessing soldiers based on their ability to reach the top shelf, which has since been adopted internationally, leading to a crisis in short-statured military personnel everywhere.. Fact: The height of soldiers has been debated for centuries, but at least now we can measure their worth by how many cookies they can fit on a single shelf!.