MARCH 1, 1955

Full News Archive

• Headline: Miss Truman Recognized for Leadership. Impact: Miss Truman's honor led to the establishment of the 'Initiative, Courage, and Daring' award, which eventually inspired a reality show where contestants had to display all three traits while cooking under pressure. Spoiler: nobody won.. Fact: Miss Truman's real first name is 'Miss,' a clever name choice by her parents who were really into brevity..
• Headline: Exhibition of Spanish and Portuguese Prints. Impact: The exhibition of Spanish prints sparked a global trend in printmaking, leading to the rise of 'Prints of the World' theme parks, where visitors could walk through giant prints of famous artworks and accidentally trip over their culture.. Fact: Spanish prints used to be called 'Spanish prints' because calling them 'art' seemed too pretentious at the time..
• Headline: 2 INDUCTED TO COURTS; Crawford and Postel Are Sworn In by Mayor Wagner. Impact: The appointment of Crawford and Postel led to an unprecedented spike in courtroom drama and legalese, resulting in the world's first courtroom reality TV show, 'Law & Order: Real Life Edition.'. Fact: Being sworn in as a judge actually means you get to wear a fancy robe, which is the real reason most people apply..
• Headline: LEGISLATORS OPEN WIRETAP INQUIRY; LEGISLATORS OPEN WIRETAP INQUIRY Need for More Time Seen-- Anti-Crime Aide Reports '47 DeSapio Phone Tap. Impact: The wiretap inquiry revealed the shocking truth that most legislators' phone conversations were just them trying to remember their own names. This led to a national movement for better record-keeping and phone etiquette.. Fact: In 1947, wiretapping was so new that most legislators thought they were just getting a new type of phone plan..
• Headline: 31 BUS DRIVERS STRIKE; Six Lines in North Jersey Are Tied Up in Wage Dispute. Impact: The bus drivers' strike inspired a nationwide trend of workers striking for better wages, which led to the invention of the 'Walk of Shame' as people realized they had to walk everywhere.. Fact: 31 bus drivers is just one less than the number of people who thought striking was a good idea before realizing they had to find alternate transportation..
• Headline: Kotelawala to Visit Peiping. Impact: Kotelawala's visit to Peiping opened doors for diplomatic relations and inadvertently set the stage for future international chefs to create fusion cuisine that nobody asked for.. Fact: Peiping is just an old name for Beijing, but apparently, it sounds much more mysterious..
• Headline: HAL ROACH BUYS FATHER'S STUDIO; Video and Theatrical Movie Producer Becomes Owner of Culver City Lot. Impact: Hal Roach's purchase of his father's studio marked the beginning of a legacy of family-owned businesses where nobody actually knows how to run the place but keeps showing up for the free coffee.. Fact: The studio was valued at $10 million, which is roughly equivalent to the number of cups of coffee consumed during a single production meeting..
• Headline: CAPITOL GUARD ASKED; 2 Wounded in House Demand Professional Police Force. Impact: The call for a professional police force in the Capitol eventually led to the establishment of strict security protocols that would eventually hinder the fun of a good old-fashioned political protest.. Fact: This incident was the catalyst for the phrase 'What happens in the Capitol, stays in the Capitol,' which is still debated today..