MAY 18, 1958

Full News Archive

• Headline: Kennedy Calls for Strong Leadership. Impact: Senator Kennedy's crisis talk led to a series of awkward diplomatic dinners where no one knew what to say, resulting in an international game of 'who can avoid eye contact the longest'.. Fact: Kennedy's speeches could make anyone feel like they were in a high-stakes episode of a political drama, even if the stakes were just his lunch order..
• Headline: 5th World Congress of Oil Men 1959. Impact: The oil men's congress gave rise to the infamous 'oil tycoon handshake', which later inspired countless awkward corporate team-building events.. Fact: Five years later, this congress would be remembered as the place where oilmen forgot to ask for a refund on their overpriced coffee..
• Headline: ORMET Ventures into Aluminum Industry. Impact: Ormet's entry into the aluminum field inspired a generation of salesmen to consider aluminum foil as a viable hat material, leading to an increase in conspiracy theories.. Fact: Salesmen 'beating the bushes' is just a fancy way of saying they really, really needed to make their quotas..
• Headline: SHIP LINE HONORED; Receives Award for Lowest Accident Rate in 1957. Impact: The award for lowest accident rate led to a nationwide increase in safety precautions, eventually inspiring the creation of an amateur safety award for babysitters.. Fact: States Marine Lines probably celebrated with a cake that read, 'We didn't crash, so here’s a trophy!'.
• Headline: SCIENCE NOTES; Three Years' Immunity From Polio -- New Element. Impact: The breakthrough in polio immunity meant that children of the future would have greater immunity, but also more opportunities to argue with their parents about vaccinations.. Fact: When Prof Brown shared his findings, parents everywhere collectively sighed in relief that they could finally stop worrying about polio parties..
• Headline: NASSER ARMS BILL IS CUT BY KREMLIN; Cairo Sources Also Report He Obtained Reduction on Industrial Equipment. Impact: Nasser's arms deal with the Kremlin set off a chain reaction of arms races, leading to the first-ever international game of 'who has the biggest toy collection'.. Fact: Khrushchev's idea of cutting costs was just him realizing he could get a better deal at the local bazaar..
• Headline: DE GAULLE TO GIVE PLAN TOMORROW; Gaullist Slips Out of France To Rally Algerian Support. Impact: De Gaulle's secretive plan to rally Algeria led to a series of misunderstandings that would make for an excellent sitcom pilot.. Fact: De Gaulle's ability to slip out of France was later used as a plot device in several spy novels, proving that sometimes, reality is stranger than fiction..
• Headline: THE AIRSHIP IN TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY; The Era of the Dirigible Is Recaptured In Stories of British and German Craft. Impact: The revival of the dirigible era sparked a wave of nostalgia for slow travel, leading to the awkward trend of 'dirigible-themed parties' in the years to come.. Fact: J. Leasor's book on dirigibles somehow became the go-to read for anyone looking to host a party with zero excitement..
• Headline: PFLIMLIN SET BACK AS ELY RESIGNS AND SOUSTELLE FLEES TO ALGERIA;; PREMIER IS FIRM. Impact: Pflimlin’s struggles in government led to a surge in political cartoons, forever embedding the image of a fleeing politician into popular culture.. Fact: The phrase 'fleeing to Algeria' would later become a euphemism for avoiding responsibility in various contexts, from politics to personal life..