OCTOBER 14, 1945

Full News Archive

• Headline: The Rise of House Plants in 1945. Impact: If house plants had never become popular, indoor air quality would have plummeted, leading to a world where everyone has to wear oxygen masks inside. Thanks, ferns!. Fact: House plants are the original low-maintenance roommates. They don’t hog the bathroom and never complain about your cooking.
• Headline: Navy Fleet Arrives: Hotels Prepare. Impact: The Navy's warning to transients created a ripple effect that led to the invention of 'Navy hotels,' a new hospitality concept where sailors shared rooms with landlocked tourists for a taste of maritime life. Fact: This warning was probably the only time a hotel association’s concern for transients was more about sailors than actual homeless people.
• Headline: Nicaragua's New Church Construction Begins. Impact: Establishing a church in Nicaragua eventually leads to the creation of a tourism industry based on 'religious pilgrimages'—because nothing says vacation like a guilt trip. Fact: This church probably had more visitors than your last family reunion. At least the confessional booth was open 24/7!.
• Headline: CROSSES OCEAN IN WEEK; Barry, With 4,154 Troops, Makes Her Fastest Trip From Havre. Impact: Barry's speedy trip across the ocean sparked a global competition among naval vessels to see who could cross faster, eventually leading to the creation of the highly competitive 'Transatlantic Race'—not to be confused with actual sailing. Fact: Barry was basically the Usain Bolt of the sea, proving that even in wartime, speed was essential—unless it involved delivering good news.
• Headline: AMENDMENT NO.6 CALLED DANGEROUS; Citizens Union Urges Voters to Defeat Proposed Veteran Preference Measure. Impact: Defeating the proposed amendment led to a growing movement for veterans' rights, which eventually inspired legislation that would make 'veteran preference' a hot topic for heated debates—because who doesn't love a good argument?. Fact: This amendment was so dangerous that even the founding fathers would have considered it a 'hot potato'—and they had to deal with tea parties!.
• Headline: Poet's Theatre. Impact: Clarke's adaptation of Shelley's work created a resurgence in interest in classic literature, inadvertently leading to a dramatic increase in pretentious coffee shop conversations around the world. Fact: If you’ve never heard someone quote Shelley over a latte, are you even living? Welcome to the world of 'literary elitism.'.
• Headline: 2,190,936 REGISTER FOR CITY ELECTION; 261,468 UNDER 1941; Figure, However, Runs 67,467 Above '42, but Far Below Presidential Years DECLINE IN ALL BOROUGHS Bronx Closest to Total in Last Mayoralty Test--Parallel With 1942 Is Seen. Impact: The massive number of city election registrations led to political campaigns becoming more elaborate, eventually resulting in the ridiculous spectacle of modern-day election season—think reality TV but with more shouting. Fact: 261,468 fewer registrations from the previous year? Sounds like a classic case of 'voter fatigue'—or maybe just apathy in action.
• Headline: HURLEY TO RETURN TO POST IN CHINA. Impact: Hurley's return to China sparked a series of diplomatic meetings that would lead to the creation of a new category in history books: 'The Art of Avoiding Conflict'. Fact: Talk about a return! The last time someone returned to China, they brought back a whole dynasty. No pressure, Hurley.
• Headline: LUTHERANS SEEK AID FOR GERMANS; IN ARGENTINE POST. Impact: The Lutheran church's emergency relief appeal led to a surprising number of other organizations jumping on the bandwagon, ultimately creating the 'Charity Olympics'—where everyone competes to see who can raise the most for the most causes. Fact: Sometimes, it takes a church to remind us that helping others is a great idea—just not during the Super Bowl commercial breaks!.