OCTOBER 1, 1955

Full News Archive

• Headline: Influential Speech by Rev. Dr. W. H. Harding. Impact: The Rev. Dr. Harding's sermons inspired a generation of people to pick up knitting as a form of spiritual expression. Little did they know, this would lead to an international knitting competition that would ultimately cause the Great Yarn Shortage of 1978.. Fact: Did you know that knitting was once thought to be a secret code for revolution? Clearly, the Rev. Dr. Harding had a lot of 'stitch' to say!.
• Headline: Macmillan Addresses German Reunification Concerns. Impact: Macmillan's optimism led to a series of diplomatic events that resulted in a bizarre international game of chess, where real leaders played in the name of world peace—until someone knocked over the board.. Fact: Did you know that during these talks, representatives often used chess metaphors? They weren't really trying to checkmate the Soviets; they just really loved a good pun..
• Headline: Mr. Truman's Memoirs: Haberdashery Venture; INSTALLMENT 7 OF EXCERPTS FROM VOLUME I. 'YEAR OF DECISIONS.' Mr. Truman's Memoirs: Haberdashery Venture INSTALLMENT 7 OF EXCERPTS FROM VOLUME I, 'YEAR OF DECISIONS'. Impact: Truman's memoirs led historians to believe that he single-handedly created a haberdashery empire that would influence the fashion industry for decades, inadvertently causing a resurgence of top hats.. Fact: Did you know that Truman's decision to venture into haberdashery was so impactful it made 'the hat' the must-have accessory of the decade? Because nothing says 'I'm a serious leader' like a well-placed fedora..
• Headline: HAROLD H. WERNER. Impact: Harold H. Werner's rise in prominence caused a butterfly effect that led to the establishment of a bizarre underground society dedicated solely to the preservation of his mustache.. Fact: Did you know Harold H. Werner had a mustache so legendary that it was rumored to have its own zip code? Talk about a hairy situation!.
• Headline: LONDON FILM UNIT BECKONS U. S. STAR; Woolf Brothers Sign Joan Crawford to 'The Story of Esther Costello'. Impact: Joan Crawford's signing led to a dramatic increase in the popularity of dramatic roles for women, which ultimately caused an entire generation of aspiring actresses to adopt the phrase 'Don't mess with me.'. Fact: Did you know that Joan Crawford was once banned from a film set for being too glamorous? Apparently, it was a hazard to the crew's self-esteem..
• Headline: R. K. Shapiro in New Post. Impact: R. K. Shapiro's appointment as exec vp inadvertently sparked a series of corporate culture workshops that led to the widespread adoption of casual Fridays—because nothing says 'I care' like wearing jeans to a meeting.. Fact: Did you know R. K. Shapiro's rise in the cinema world was so swift that they once tried to put 'Shapiro Speed' as a term for quick promotions? Spoiler: It never caught on..
• Headline: WALTON HERE FOR OPERA; British Composer to See U. S. Stagings of His 'Troilus'. Impact: Walton's visit inspired a wave of British opera enthusiasts to invade America, resulting in what historians now call the 'Tea and Opera Crisis of 1965'.. Fact: Did you know that Walton's operas were so powerful they could make even the most stoic of Americans weep? Or maybe that was just the tea they were drinking..
• Headline: MLLE. CAMILLE JACQUES[. Impact: Mlle. Camille Jacques' influence led to a fashion revolution that resulted in the widespread adoption of berets as symbols of artistic rebellion—who knew wearing a hat could spark a revolution?. Fact: Did you know that Mlle. Camille Jacques was once told she couldn't wear a beret to a formal event? She showed them by starting a whole trend and making berets the new black..
• Headline: MEDICINE IN THE TROPICS. Impact: The proposal for an international tropical medicine research center led to breakthroughs that inadvertently created a strain of super-tropical fruit that still haunts scientists today.. Fact: Did you know that tropical medicine researchers often joke that their work is like a never-ending vacation? Except it involves more mosquitoes and less sunscreen than you'd expect..