JUNE 3, 1951

Full News Archive

• Headline: Westinghouse's Jet Engine Manufacturing Plant. Impact: The establishment of this jet engine plant set off a chain reaction, leading to the rise of air travel. Suddenly, people realized flying could be as common as taking the bus, which eventually resulted in angry parents waiting at the airport for their kids who thought they could just hop on a plane to Europe for the weekend. Thanks, Westinghouse!. Fact: Did you know that if jet engines had been invented a decade earlier, we might have seen World War II fought with much faster escape routes? Talk about a plot twist!.
• Headline: Ansco's $10,000 Photography Contest. Impact: Ansco's contest for photographers indirectly led to the rise of social media influencers. Next thing you know, everyone’s grandma is posting duck-face selfies with her cat and using #nofilter.. Fact: Fun fact: back in the day, photography contests were so serious that losing could lead to social ostracism. Imagine that pressure!.
• Headline: NEW ENGLAND MILITIA MUSEUM. Impact: By opening the oldest militia museum, Newport inadvertently sparked the trend of hipster historical reenactments. Now, you can witness people in silly costumes arguing about muskets while sipping artisanal coffee.. Fact: Did you know that the Newport Artillery Company has been around longer than most modern nations? They could probably teach a masterclass in 'how to be old and still relevant.'.
• Headline: Fulbright Scholarships Open to 700 Next Year. Impact: The Fulbright Scholarships opened the floodgates for students to travel abroad, leading to a generation of Americans developing a caffeine addiction from overpriced European coffee. Thanks to this, now there’s a Starbucks on every corner, worldwide.. Fact: Did you know that Fulbright itself was named after a guy who just wanted to send students abroad so they could complain about the weather instead of their own country's politics?.
• Headline: Sweden Honors N.A.M. Aide. Impact: Sweden honoring an American aide led to a steady stream of American tourists thinking they could just waltz into Scandinavian countries and be treated like royalty. Spoiler: they were not.. Fact: Did you know that the Order of Vasa is like Sweden’s version of a gold star? But instead of being given to good students, it's for people who do nice things—like not judging their neighbors too harshly..
• Headline: Education Is the Teacher's Job; The trouble is, there are so many 'experts' trying to share it and they ignore the true expert in the field--the educator. Education Is the Teacher's Job. Impact: Dean Pickel’s article on education led to an influx of 'experts' giving unsolicited advice to teachers. This eventually resulted in the creation of the phrase 'Those who can't do, teach, and those who can't teach, write articles about it.'. Fact: Did you know that the term 'expert' is often used to describe someone who knows more than you, but less than they think they do? Truly a fascinating dynamic!.
• Headline: GET-TOUGH POLICY IS URGED BY A.F.L.; Monthly Survey Demands Word 'To Stalin That U.S.A. Will Halt Any Aggression'. Impact: The A.F.L. urging a tough policy against the USSR led to a series of awkward diplomatic dinners where everyone pretended to enjoy cold war cuisine. Spoiler alert: nobody liked borscht.. Fact: Did you know that at one point during the Cold War, the phrase 'get tough' was considered a diplomatic strategy? Who knew diplomacy involved so much yelling?.
• Headline: What Animals Think of People; As fellow animals, but not as humans, they eventually 'accept' us into society.. Impact: The article on animal perception led to a brief cultural phenomenon where people tried to communicate with their pets. This resulted in cats becoming even more disdainful and dogs developing a superiority complex.. Fact: Did you know that if animals could talk, they'd probably just insult us? It’s like the furry version of reality TV, but with more fur and fewer commercial breaks..