Gadgets, lab surprises, odd bets, and future-shocks from this slice of the calendar.
The Sounds of
Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year
HEADLINES ON January 15, 1946
Full News Archive
- Headline: Art Groups Showcase Contemporary Paintings. Impact: The rise of contemporary art sparked a chain reaction of hipsters with berets and overpriced coffee, leading to the global phenomenon of 'Instagram art' where every brunch spot became an art gallery. Thanks, painters.. Fact: Did you know that in 2023, people were still pretending to understand modern art? It's a real skill to nod knowingly while staring at a blank canvas..
- Headline: USFET Becomes Western Base Section. Impact: This simple name change led to a series of bureaucratic dominoes falling, creating a new genre of paperwork-related horror stories that haunt office workers to this day. 'Western Base Section' sounds like a bad country song.. Fact: Did you know that renaming things is a time-honored tradition in government? It's like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic, but with more paperwork!.
- Headline: Dairy Walkout Pickets Make History. Impact: This dairy walkout led to the creation of an underground cheese trade, which fueled a black market for artisanal brie. Who knew picketing cows could lead to such cheesy chaos?. Fact: Did you know that dairy farmers once tried to unionize their cows? Apparently, the cows just mooed in discontent and continued to produce milk..
- Headline: STORM-TOSSED WACS DOCK HERE SAFELY; 212 Arrive on the Enterprise After Transfer in Azores From Battered Transports. Impact: The safe arrival of the WACs marked a turning point in military logistics, leading to the modern-day understanding that women in the military could indeed handle a stormβboth literal and metaphorical.. Fact: Did you know that WAC stands for Women's Army Corps? They were pioneers in proving that women could excel in roles traditionally reserved for men, often while wearing stylish uniforms..
- Headline: Admirals Get Enemy's Swords. Impact: The presentation of these swords became symbolic of the shifting tides of war, eventually inspiring countless action movies where the hero retrieves a sword from the villain. This is how we ended up with so many sword-fighting scenes in cinema.. Fact: Did you know that returning swords to admirals is a tradition that implies respect? Meanwhile, in the modern world, we just return things via Amazon Prime..
- Headline: WOULD END BREAKAGE; Condon Bill Proposes Return of Moneys to Race Bettors. Impact: This bill kickstarted a wave of gambling reform, leading to the eventual rise of state lotteries and the realization that the only thing less predictable than a horse race is the stock market.. Fact: Did you know that betting on horse races was once considered a respectable pastime? Now, itβs just a way to lose your savings while cheering for a horse named 'Glittering Unicorn.'.
- Headline: Article 3 -- No Title. Impact: This mysterious untitled article sparked endless speculation and debate, leading to a renaissance of creative writing where people just named things arbitrarily. The modern equivalent? Clickbait titles.. Fact: Did you know that sometimes the best titles are the ones left blank? Just ask any author who's ever submitted their work with 'Untitled' as a title..
- Headline: Books--Authors. Impact: The establishment of the trade department for authors led to the eventual rise of literary agents, who are basically the middlemen of the book world. This paved the way for a thousand aspiring writers to be told 'not yet' for eternity.. Fact: Did you know that most authors just want a nice cup of coffee and a quiet room? Instead, they get an inbox full of rejection letters and existential crises..
- Headline: SAVINGS SET RECORD; Deposits in Mutual Banks in State $8,283,462,494 on Dec. 31. Impact: This record-setting savings deposit inadvertently fueled the obsession with wealth accumulation, setting off a chain of events that would lead to reality TV shows about rich people doing absolutely nothing of importance.. Fact: Did you know that people actually save money? Shocking, I know! Next, youβll tell me that people still use piggy banks..
- Headline: IRANIAN INSURGENTS SEIZE RAILWAY CARS. Impact: The seizure of railway cars highlighted the instability in the region, which would come to influence international relations and fuel decades of geopolitical tension. Itβs the gift that keeps on giving.. Fact: Did you know that seizing railway cars can lead to serious diplomatic consequences? Just ask any country thatβs ever dealt with a train heist..
Wall Street Time Machine
PFE
Pfizer
Pfizer - If you invested $1,000 in 1946, it would be worth $168,691 today (168.7x return)
JNJ
Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson - If you invested $1,000 in 1946, it would be worth $3,433,942 today (3433.9x return)
PG
Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble - If you invested $1,000 in 1946, it would be worth $586,656 today (586.7x return)