MARCH 27, 1960

Full News Archive

• Headline: Sydney's Downtown Development Opportunity. Impact: The U.S. builders, thinking they were buying a plot of land, inadvertently triggered a real estate boom that led to the rise of Sydney as a global city. Ironically, now every time someone visits, they ask 'Where's the beach?' and the locals just sigh.. Fact: Sydney's downtown area is now home to more Starbucks than actual Australians. So, good luck finding a 'choice' site that doesn’t have a caffeine-fueled crowd!.
• Headline: Chotiner Claims Nixon's Support for House Race. Impact: Chotiner's campaign, with Nixon's backing, led to a political chain reaction that eventually resulted in a new breed of political strategist who believed that every campaign should offer a free donut for votes. The obesity epidemic in politics was born.. Fact: Nixon's endorsement was so powerful that even today, the phrase 'I am not a crook' is often misinterpreted as a campaign slogan for aspiring politicians..
• Headline: Philately Celebrates America's 50th State. Impact: The stamp tribute for the fiftieth state led to an explosion of philatelic interest, resulting in a future where stamp collecting became the hottest trend among millennials, who ironically have no idea what a stamp is.. Fact: Philately is the only hobby where people collect things that are intentionally designed to be destroyed by licking. Talk about dedication!.
• Headline: MAINE TO MAINTAIN ITS COVERED BRIDGES. Impact: Maine’s decision to maintain its covered bridges inadvertently sparked a tourism boom that included Instagram influencers posing on said bridges, leading to the birth of a new era of 'Bridges of Insta-fame.'. Fact: Covered bridges were originally designed to keep horses dry, but now they primarily serve the purpose of keeping tourists from getting rained on while they take selfies..
• Headline: HIGH SUICIDE RATE PUZZLES SWEDEN; Officials Irked by Attempts to Link It to Welfare State -- Data Lacking. Impact: Sweden's high suicide rate puzzled officials, leading to an influx of self-help books that ultimately resulted in a massive surge in the popularity of Swedish meatballs as comfort food. Because nothing says 'I care' like a plate of meatballs.. Fact: Sweden is famous for its welfare state, but it turns out that the best welfare is just a good meatball recipe. Who knew?.
• Headline: THE TOPEKA JOINS NAVY MISSILE FLEET. Impact: The commissioning of the Topeka into the Navy missile fleet led to a series of unfortunate events where naval officers began to believe they could solve disputes with missiles instead of diplomacy. Spoiler alert: it didn’t end well.. Fact: The Topeka is known for its 'missile diplomacy,' which is just a fancy way of saying, 'We’d rather launch missiles than have a conversation.'.
• Headline: Africa Needs Time --; A leader of the upwelling independence movement on that continent says the goals are clear but that Africans must be allowed to find their own ways to democracy. Africa Needs Time --. Impact: Nyerere's call for independence and democracy in Africa became the rallying cry that inspired a million hashtags, eventually leading to the realization that social media could be a more effective tool for change than actual governance. Welcome to the digital age!. Fact: Africa's quest for democracy has been so long that if it were a movie, it would be a never-ending series with multiple spin-offs and a confusing timeline..
• Headline: Exiles 'Hang' Khrushchev. Impact: The effigy hanging of Khrushchev by Corsican dissidents inspired a new form of political protest that has continued to evolve. Today, it’s all about memes and TikToks, which are way less flammable but still cause a lot of controversy.. Fact: Hanging effigies is so last century; now, political protests are all about who can make the best meme. Efficiency at its finest!.