SEPTEMBER 12, 1944

Full News Archive

• Headline: Kent's Mother Fights for His Return. Impact: Kent's mother's lawsuit set off a chain reaction of mothers across America filing suits to retrieve their sons, leading to a new holiday: National 'Get Your Kid Back' Day, celebrated every third Tuesday in June.. Fact: Did you know that the phrase 'Mama's boy' took on a whole new meaning after this lawsuit? It became a badge of honor!.
• Headline: GI Bill Tuition Plan Set in 1944. Impact: This tuition plan led to an explosion in veterans enrolling in college, resulting in the 'Great Brain Drain' of the '50s, where baristas became PhDs overnight.. Fact: Fun fact: For just $40, you could get an education back then, while today, you’d be lucky to buy a textbook for that price!.
• Headline: Return to Brussels: A Moment of Hope. Impact: The demonstrations in Brussels sparked a worldwide trend for public protests, leading to the invention of the protest selfie, thus forever changing social media.. Fact: Did you know that the first protest selfie was taken in Brussels? It was just a blurry photo of a sign that read 'We Want Free Wi-Fi!'.
• Headline: MOTORISTS COOPERATING; 74% Conserve on Mileage, Dealer Conference Here Is Told. Impact: The conservation efforts led to a national obsession with mileage, causing the invention of the 'mileage challenge' that ultimately resulted in the world's first carpool karaoke.. Fact: Did you know that 74% of motorists conserving mileage also coincided with the rise of the phrase 'Save the Earth, drive less?' Yeah, they probably just wanted to avoid traffic!.
• Headline: COMMERCIAL RENT INCREASES CITED; Situation 'Really Desperate,' Says Platzker, Who Submits Data to Mayor Today. Impact: Platzker's complaints about rent led to the creation of the Rent Control Movement, which eventually made landlords everywhere decide that 'affordable' was just a word for 'not quite as extortionate.'. Fact: Did you know that 'rent gouging' is now a popular Olympic sport in certain cities? Just kidding, but it sure feels like it!.
• Headline: Japan Is Topic at Quebec; Stalin Lays Absence to War; QUEBEC TALKS ON, JAPAN MAIN TOPIC. Impact: The Quebec talks about Japan inadvertently fueled the rise of sushi restaurants in the U.S., leading to a nationwide obsession with raw fish and the invention of the sushi burrito.. Fact: Did you know that before sushi became popular, most Americans thought 'sashimi' was just a fancy way of saying 'not cooked?'.
• Headline: Article 15 -- No Title. Impact: The mine closures triggered a mass migration of miners to urban areas, inadvertently leading to the rise of hipster culture as they sought jobs in artisanal coal mining... or something like that.. Fact: Did you know that coal miners were the original hipsters? They were rocking beards and plaid long before it was cool!.
• Headline: THREE HELD IN DRAFT CASE; Conspiracy to Keep Bartender on Job Alleged by FBI. Impact: The FBI's draft evasion case created a nationwide paranoia about bartenders, leading to the implementation of background checks for anyone serving drinks, which is why your bartender now knows your life story.. Fact: Did you know that the FBI once considered creating a 'Bartender Watch List'? Because nothing says 'national security' like knowing who makes your martini!.
• Headline: Five Departments Fight Fire. Impact: The fire at the basket factory led to a decline in wicker furniture sales, which made way for the rise of bean bag chairs and an entire generation of people who never learned proper posture.. Fact: Did you know that after the basket factory fire, bean bag chairs were declared a 'national treasure'? Okay, maybe not, but they certainly became a staple of college dorm rooms!.