MARCH 28, 1946

Full News Archive

• Headline: Fare Resolution Withdrawn by Hall. Impact: Had Hall's 10c fare resolution passed, the ensuing fare hikes might have sparked a mass uprising among penny-pinching commuters, leading to the world's first public transport revolution, where people banded together to form a barter system involving sandwiches and bus tokens.. Fact: In 1950s New York, 10 cents could buy you a subway ride, a cup of coffee, or a trip to the moon—if only the moon were a bus stop..
• Headline: Support for Small Stores in 1946. Impact: If Dubow's sales drive had succeeded, we might have seen a renaissance of small stores, leading to a world where mom-and-pop shops dominated, and the phrase 'online shopping' would have been a myth told to children like Bigfoot.. Fact: In the 1940s, shopping at small stores was so popular that big chains tried to bribe local kids into spreading rumors about their competitors' 'haunted' aisles..
• Headline: Braden's Stance on Perón and Europe. Impact: Braden's decision to maintain relations with Peron was pivotal; had he not, Argentina might have become the first country to invent diplomacy via tango, leading to world peace being negotiated on the dance floor.. Fact: It's rumored that if you play the right tango song, even the most bitter political enemies will start dancing instead of debating..
• Headline: AIR PARLEY DRAWS SEA TRAFFIC PLAN; NORTH ATLANTIC AIR CONTROL IS SET UP. Impact: The establishment of North Atlantic air control meant that the skies were now safer, but it also led to the invention of air traffic controllers' coffee breaks—ensuring that pilots are always one caffeine fix away from safely landing.. Fact: Air traffic control was so revolutionary that it inspired a hit 1970s sitcom called 'Air Traffic Control: The Musical,' but sadly, it never took off..
• Headline: Business World; WHOLESALE CMMODITY PRICES. Impact: The release of innerspring mattresses could have caused a mattress war, leading to a world where people fought over the best sleep technology, ultimately culminating in mattress-themed reality shows.. Fact: In 1940s America, a good night's sleep was considered so sacred that mattress salesmen were the unsung heroes of the neighborhood, revered like local legends..
• Headline: VAN ACKER IS CALLED; Regent Asks Him to Attempt to Form Belgian Regime. Impact: Van Acker's call to form a Belgian regime might have led to Belgium becoming the first nation to implement a chocolate-based currency, making every citizen a millionaire in sweets.. Fact: Belgium's love for chocolate is so profound that if you cut a Belgian, they bleed cocoa—though they prefer to keep that fact under wraps..
• Headline: U.S. ARMY PURGES HEIDELBERG STAFF; Science Dean and 10 Others Removed After Survey of Links to Nazism. Impact: The U.S. Army's purge of Nazi-linked staff could have led to a chain reaction of universities around the world adopting strict vetting policies, ultimately making 'Nazi-free zones' a trendy campus slogan.. Fact: The post-war period was so obsessed with rooting out Nazis that it was rumored even the campus squirrels were subjected to background checks..
• Headline: PERON IS CLOSE TO GOAL; Lacks Only 6,000 Votes in Buenos Aires to Clinch Election. Impact: If Peron had clinched the election with just 6,000 votes, it might have led to an Argentine economic boom based on national pride—resulting in a global trend of countries electing their leaders based on dance-off competitions.. Fact: Argentine elections often hinge on charisma, and if you can dance, you're halfway to the presidency—though it helps to have some policies too..
• Headline: COUNCIL PROCEEDS; SOVIET DELEGATE WALKS OUT OF UNO--IRAN'S ENVOY TAKES A SEAT. Impact: The Soviet delegate's walkout from the UNO might have sparked a series of dramatic exits from political meetings worldwide, leading to the rise of political soap operas where drama and diplomacy collided spectacularly.. Fact: Political walkouts became so popular that they were almost turned into an Olympic sport, with judges scoring on style, flair, and the dramatic flair of the exit..