AUGUST 13, 1948

Full News Archive

• Headline: Western Electric Workers Plan Strike. Impact: This strike led to a domino effect of worker rights movements across America, eventually resulting in the creation of 'Casual Friday' as employees decided if they had to strike, they might as well look good doing it.. Fact: Did you know that strikes are just fancy ways of saying, 'We're not working until someone gives us a better deal?'.
• Headline: Dewey Grants Stay for Hintz Killers. Impact: This decision sparked debates around the legal system that rippled into the 21st century, leading to countless TV shows about courtroom drama and the rise of true crime podcasts where people ponder if the killers were actually innocent.. Fact: In the end, delaying execution is just a polite way of saying, 'We're still figuring out how to not mess this up.'.
• Headline: New Age Limit for Air Force Officer Candidates. Impact: As a result of this age cap, a whole generation of would-be pilots turned to video games, eventually leading to the creation of 'Call of Duty' and a national obsession with virtual warfare.. Fact: Because nothing says 'We trust you with a million-dollar jet' like being too old to play dodgeball..
• Headline: ALBERT M, SKINNER. Impact: This mysterious headline became a prime example of how information can be so vague that it fuels conspiracy theories about who Albert M. Skinner really was, perhaps a secret agent or simply a guy who forgot to submit his biography.. Fact: The real question is: if you can't even figure out who someone is from their name, how can you trust anything else in the news?.
• Headline: ATOM DEFENSE NEED IS TOLD TO DRUGGISTS. Impact: When druggists were tasked with atom defense, it inadvertently led to the creation of the first 'Atomic Cold Medicine,' which promised to cure everything from a headache to nuclear fallout (results may vary).. Fact: Because who doesn't want their aspirin to come with a side of nuclear protection?.
• Headline: Steel Price Rise Analyzed; Percentage of Increase Criticized as Exceeding Rise in Costs. Impact: This pricing debate led to a national obsession with steel that eventually inspired a generation of DIY enthusiasts to believe they could build anything, including their own homes—spoiler alert: they couldn't.. Fact: Isn't it ironic that while steel prices rise, the only thing that seems to stay in budget is the cost of procrastination?.
• Headline: PAN AMERICAN CUTS AIR FARE TO LONDON; Round Trip Overseas Down to $472.50 Effective Oct. 1, a $157.50 Reduction. Impact: This price drop was the start of a long-standing tradition of airlines finding new ways to charge you for your luggage after luring you in with cheap fares—thank you, Pan Am, for this enduring legacy!. Fact: Airlines have mastered the art of making you feel like you've scored a deal only to charge you extra for the seatbelt..
• Headline: Gets Safety Council Post. Impact: C.E. Doyle's appointment inadvertently inspired the idea that safety is a position one can hold, leading to the creation of countless safety seminars that no one really wants to attend.. Fact: Safety first! Unless it involves actually doing something fun, then it's safety second..
• Headline: EDUCATION SURVEY IN PUERTO RICO SET; Teachers College Group Plans Year Study to Aid Islands in Revising System. Impact: This survey initiated a long-term struggle for educational reform that would eventually lead to generations of students questioning why they had to learn algebra at all, with a special focus on the 'When will I ever use this?' dilemma.. Fact: Education surveys: because sometimes you just need a fancy way to say 'We have no idea what we're doing, but we’ll study it!'.