DECEMBER 10, 1944

Full News Archive

• Headline: Navigating Expertise in Wartime Democracy. Impact: This 'expert' dilemma spiraled into a never-ending debate, giving rise to a new breed of self-proclaimed experts on Twitter, who now dominate the discourse with unsolicited opinions on everything from politics to how to make the perfect avocado toast.. Fact: Experts in democracy are like unicorns: everyone talks about them, but nobody quite knows where to find one..
• Headline: Nelson Meets Curtin for Strategic Talks. Impact: This conference was the start of a long series of meetings that would eventually lead to the invention of the conference call—a technological marvel that allowed people to ignore each other from the comfort of their own homes.. Fact: Nelson and Curtin's talks were so riveting that even the coffee machine was glued to the discussion..
• Headline: Jean Gabin Leaves French Navy Service. Impact: Gabin's exit from the French Navy prompted a nationwide crisis in dramatic acting, leading to a dramatic surge in French cinema that would eventually convince Americans that reading subtitles is a form of cultural enlightenment.. Fact: Jean Gabin was so beloved that his demobilization was more celebrated than a national holiday in France..
• Headline: THE SILVER PENCIL. By Alice Dalgliesh. Decorations by Katherine Milhous. 235 pp. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. $2.50.. Impact: The release of 'The Silver Pencil' inspired a generation of children to take up writing and create their own masterpieces—many of which were promptly lost to the ether of the internet, never to be read again.. Fact: For $2.50, you could own a book that would probably end up collecting dust on a shelf, right next to that one self-help book you never read..
• Headline: Butchers Demand That Army Act To Halt Packers' Shutdown Here; Butchers' Union Demands That Army Step In To Halt Shutdown of Packing Houses Here. Impact: The butchers' plea for military intervention to save their livelihoods ironically foreshadowed the rise of fast food chains—because nothing says 'I love meat' quite like a burger served by someone who didn’t even bother to butcher it.. Fact: The last time an army intervened in a meat crisis, it ended with more sausages than soldiers..
• Headline: TELEVISION NOTES. Impact: Television programming was so groundbreaking that it led to the invention of reality TV—because nothing screams 'art' like watching people try to survive on an island or live in a house together.. Fact: The Lighthouse Players were so innovative that their playlet was the first to be critiqued by a cat watching from a windowsill..
• Headline: Lt. K.K. Mitchell Jr. Killed. Impact: Lt. K.K. Mitchell Jr.'s sacrifice became a somber reminder of the costs of war, leading to an increase in anti-war sentiments and numerous protests, proving that history tends to repeat itself, but with more hashtags.. Fact: K.K. Mitchell Jr. is remembered not just for his bravery, but for his uncanny ability to make people laugh in the most dire circumstances..
• Headline: ART: SOME MODERNS; Abstraction and Surrealism in the New Group and One-Man Shows -- Others. Impact: The Modern Art exhibit sparked heated debates about what constitutes 'art', igniting a cultural revolution that led to people paying thousands for a canvas with a single dot—thank you, abstraction!. Fact: If you think abstract art is confusing, just wait until you try to explain it to your grandma during the holidays..