JUNE 12, 1952

Full News Archive

• Headline: Truman Proposes Neutral Inquiry on Koje. Impact: Truman's little inquiry request led to the world's longest game of 'Who's Neutral?' after which Sweden started charging for their neutrality and Switzerland finally got tired of being everyone's punching bag. The Cold War? All thanks to a few observers and a lot of bureaucratic paperwork.. Fact: Did you know that Sweden has been neutral for so long, they consider 'taking sides' a fun game? They just might be the only country to turn a military strategy into a leisure activity..
• Headline: Health Crisis Among World War II Youth. Impact: Maj Gen Hershey's realization about the health crisis resulted in a sudden demand for kale and yoga classes in the military. Who knew that the fate of the draft would hinge on a well-balanced diet and some deep breathing exercises?. Fact: Fun fact: The rejection rate for the draft was so high, they almost opened a gym instead of a recruitment center. 'Join the Army' might have been replaced with 'Join the Gym'!.
• Headline: New Red Murders Revealed in POW Search. Impact: The 'Red Murders' on Koje sparked a series of international debates, leading to a new trend in crime documentaries. You could say it was the start of a fascinating yet grim genre: 'How Not to Be a Communist'.. Fact: Ironically, the only thing more gruesome than the events on Koje might be the ratings for the documentaries that followed. The true crime genre owes a lot to those unfortunate POWs..
• Headline: Kansas Delegate Challenged. Impact: The Kansas delegate challenge was the opening act in a never-ending circus of political maneuvering. If only they knew this would lead to reality TV shows about political debates. Thanks for the drama, Kansas!. Fact: Kansas delegates were probably just trying to figure out how to make the whole thing a bit more exciting—like adding a theme song to their political battles. Spoiler: the theme was 'Dueling Banjos'..
• Headline: BIG 4 PARLEY ASKED BY FRENCH CABINET ON GERMAN ISSUES; Schuman Instructed to Call for Early Conference With Soviet Confined to Vote and Unity MOVE SURPRISES LONDON British Deny Part in Plan -- Washington Insists Ballot Inquiry Precede Meeting BIG 4 PARLEY URGED BY FRENCH CABINET. Impact: The French Cabinet's plea for a Big-4 parley led to countless hours of diplomatic negotiations, which ultimately taught the world that meetings could go on forever without any actual decision-making. The French? They just wanted to look busy.. Fact: Funny enough, the French were just trying to figure out how to make negotiations sound fancy. They called it 'parley' to distract from the fact that they were just as confused as everyone else..
• Headline: Germans Award Goethe Prize. Impact: Zuckmayer's win of the Goethe Prize led to a sudden spike in artistic aspiration, resulting in an influx of Germans trying to break into the film industry. Spoiler alert: not everyone can be a genius.. Fact: Winning the Goethe Prize is like getting an Oscar for intellectuals. Zuckmayer probably had a line of aspiring filmmakers waiting to ask him for advice—most of which involved coffee and existential crises..
• Headline: Angry Brazil Reinforces Argentine Border Guard. Impact: Brazil reinforcing its border with Argentina led to a series of 'border patrol' memes that would later dominate the internet. The real battle? Who could come up with the funniest caption about it.. Fact: Min Neves probably thought he was launching a military strategy, but little did he know he was also starting a meme factory. Who knew geopolitical tensions could be so entertaining?.