SEPTEMBER 18, 1951

Full News Archive

• Headline: Rail Union Leader Alvanley Johnston Dies. Impact: Alvanley Johnston’s defiance of Truman set off a chain reaction where future union leaders began to think they could actually stand up to authority. This led to an awkward moment in 1980 when a union leader accidentally tried to negotiate a raise with a vending machine. Fact: Johnston’s strike shutdown was so effective that it inspired a whole new genre of 'strike-themed' motivational posters. You can still find them in the offices of disgruntled employees everywhere.
• Headline: CONSERVATIVES KEEP CONTROL IN COLOMBIA. Impact: The Conservative control in Colombia paved the way for an unexpected rise in coffee consumption worldwide, which somehow led to the invention of coffee-flavored everything, including coffee-flavored toothpaste in 2025. Fact: Colombian politics: where keeping control is just as important as keeping your coffee strong and your sense of humor stronger.
• Headline: Hearst Curator Asked. Impact: The search for a Hearst curator unwittingly birthed a new trend in museum curation—'The Weird and Wacky.' This movement eventually led to the rise of exhibitions featuring items like a framed collection of toenail clippings from famous historical figures. Fact: If you’re ever in a museum and see a curator looking suspiciously like they belong on a game show, they might just be waiting for their turn to curate the next 'Weird and Wacky' collection.
• Headline: Monaghan Urges Police To Be 'Rough on Rats'. Impact: Monaghan's advice to police sparked a worldwide movement for rat control that accidentally led to the rise of 'Rat Cafés' in urban areas, where people gather to sip lattes while befriending local rodents. Fact: The phrase 'rough on rats' became the unofficial slogan for the annual 'Rat Olympics,' where furry contenders race for the title of 'Fastest Rodent.'.
• Headline: 3 INDICTED IN BABY INQUIRY; Brooklyn Man, Doctor and Wife Accused in Massachusetts. Impact: The indictment of three individuals in a baby inquiry triggered a nationwide discussion on ethics in adoption, which ultimately led to the creation of an award-winning sitcom about a family of baby smugglers—educational yet hilarious. Fact: The term 'baby inquiry' sounds like a cute way to ask where babies come from, but trust me, it’s much more complicated and not nearly as adorable.
• Headline: Cabinet Talks in Israel Collapse As School Issue Reaches Impasse. Impact: The collapse of cabinet talks in Israel over school issues resulted in a bizarre series of political cartoons depicting politicians as schoolchildren throwing tantrums, which somehow became the most influential art movement of the decade. Fact: The political impasse was so severe that it inspired a new form of meditation called 'political zen,' where participants simply stare at a wall and hope for better decisions.
• Headline: A Century of The Times; Piper That Began as Four-Page Daily in 1851 Now Faces Its Second Hundred Years--Congratulations From Truman THE TIMES MARKS ITS FIRST CENTURY Some Rural Items First Publisher's Message A Period of Rough Sailing A Slogan Is Adopted Rights to Important Stories Adolph S. Ochs Dies Publisher Visits War Fronts Post-War Expansion A Comparison of Costs. Impact: The centenary of The Times not only marked a significant milestone but also inadvertently led to a 100-year-long feud between rival newspapers over who could claim the title of 'Most Read.' This eventually spiraled into a newspaper wrestling championship. Fact: It’s rumored that the publisher’s message included a secret recipe for the perfect paper airplane, which is now a closely guarded secret among journalists.