JUNE 27, 1958

Full News Archive

• Headline: Hoffa Linked to Indiana Land Scheme. Impact: If Hoffa had just played a game of Monopoly instead of fixing land deals, the whole mobster labor union scene might have turned into a board game. Instead, we got decades of conspiracy theories and a missing body. Who knew a highway could lead to such a detour in history?. Fact: Did you know that the only thing more elusive than Hoffa is the actual truth about what happened to him? It's the ultimate unsolved mystery, right up there with Bigfoot and the Bermuda Triangle..
• Headline: US House Rejects African Affairs Position. Impact: By rejecting the African Affairs post, Congress ensured that the U.S. would remain blissfully unaware of African issues for decades. Who needs global perspective when you can focus on local cat videos instead?. Fact: Fun fact: Without an Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, the U.S. had to rely on Wikipedia to learn about Africa for the next 50 years. Spoiler alert: The information wasn't always reliable..
• Headline: Goldfine and Adams Scrutiny in 1958. Impact: Goldfine's boasting about political favors perfectly set the stage for the future of backroom deals. This event marked the dawn of 'Who you know is more important than what you know' in American politics. Thanks, Goldfine!. Fact: Did you know that if boasting were an Olympic sport, Goldfine would have certainly taken home the gold? His athleticism in financial gymnastics was unmatched!.
• Headline: DAKOTA COUNT STOPPED; Langer's Victory So Decisive Primary Tabulation Is Halted. Impact: Langer's decisive victory in the primary was so overwhelming that it stopped the vote count. This prompted others to think, 'If you can't count on the votes, just count on Langer's charisma!'. Fact: Interestingly, stopping the count like this was later adopted by many politicians as a metaphorical strategy: 'If you can’t win, just don’t let anyone know how many votes you really got.'.
• Headline: NIXON SUPPORTS LAWMAKER CALLS; Sees Congressmen's Duty to Appeal to Agencies on Behalf of Constituents. Impact: Nixon's support for congressmen's duty to appeal to agencies marked the moment when politicians realized that being a middleman is a full-time job, paving the way for the 'Can you just call them for me?' culture we see today.. Fact: Fun fact: Nixon’s call for Congressmen to appeal on behalf of constituents was basically the birth of the modern ‘Please hold’ experience on government hotlines..
• Headline: NIELSEN TESTIFIES ON VIDEO RATINGS. Impact: Nielsen defending his ratings was like the first step towards the inevitable rise of reality TV. If only he could have predicted that one day, ratings would be more important than actual content.. Fact: Did you know that Nielsen’s ratings are so famous that even the ghosts of bad TV shows are still trying to haunt him for a better score? Talk about a heavy audience!.
• Headline: WORLD MEETING SOUGHT BY A.F.M.; Union Asks Fight Against Canned' Music -- Holden Pact Dispute in Court. Impact: The A.F.M.'s plea against canned music could have led to a world where musicians were actually paid for their craft, saving us from the horrors of elevator music. But alas, the universe had other plans.. Fact: Ironically, ‘canned music’ is how most people describe the sound coming from their neighbor's garage band. So, thanks A.F.M., for trying to save us all from that!.
• Headline: House Increases Atom Funds. Impact: The increase in atom funds was essentially the government’s way of saying, 'Let’s throw some money at this problem and hope it doesn’t explode!' Spoiler alert: it often did.. Fact: Did you know that increasing atom funds was also a great way to keep scientists busy? It’s like giving a toddler a shiny new toy and saying, 'Don’t break it!'.
• Headline: HONOR POLICEMAN ADMITS TO THEFTS; Says He Looted $27,000 From Two Headquarters HONOR POLICEMAN ADMITS TO THEFTS. Impact: The admission of theft by a policeman turned the honor code on its head, proving that even those sworn to serve can have a side gig as a looter. This certainly made for some interesting conversations at the precinct.. Fact: Fun fact: This policeman's thefts could have inspired a new police procedural drama series titled 'Honorable Thieves,' which would have been a smash hit—if only integrity had been in the script!.