JULY 21, 1960

Full News Archive

• Headline: City Appoints New Deputy Buildings Chief. Impact: W C Kane's appointment as Deputy Commissioner led to the establishment of an entirely new bureaucracy. Decades later, every city has a Deputy Something, with the title now commonly used for anyone who might need a fancy title while sipping coffee. Fact: In the world of bureaucratic titles, Deputy is the ultimate catch-all. It's like being the assistant to the assistant to the assistant—just with more paperwork!.
• Headline: Hoover Opens Coast Boys Club in San Francisco. Impact: Hoover's dedication of the Coast Boys Club spurred a nationwide movement towards youth organizations. Ironically, this also led to the creation of 'No Fun Allowed' clubs, where rules outnumbered games. Fact: Hoover was such a fan of youth clubs that he also tried to open a 'Teenage Fun Police' division but decided against it when he realized nobody would sign up.
• Headline: Kennedy Names Key Campaign Aides. Impact: Kennedy's appointment of campaign aides created a domino effect in political marketing, leading to the rise of slogans like 'Vote for the least terrible option' that we've all come to know and love. Fact: Back then, political campaigns operated like a high school popularity contest, but with more money and fewer snacks.
• Headline: RUSSIAN IS FIRM; Insists Brussels Pull Men Out in 3 Days -- Vote Deferred U.S. WARNS SOVIET IN U.N. ON CONGO. Impact: The U.S. warning the Soviet Union at the UN over the Congo crisis turned out to be a classic case of 'the pot calling the kettle black.' This set the stage for decades of diplomatic back-and-forth that resembled an intense game of chess with no clear winner. Fact: If you ever thought diplomacy was boring, just remember that it often involves lots of shouting, but only in a very polite way—like arguing over who gets the last cookie.
• Headline: DEWEY WILL SPEAK AT G.O.P. CONVENTION. Impact: Dewey's speaking engagement at the G.O.P. Convention became a pivotal moment that ultimately led to the phrase 'Dewey Defeats Truman' being the most famous headline blunder in electoral history, proving that even the best can get it wrong. Fact: In political history, the only thing more certain than a Dewey speech is that someone will misinterpret it and create a meme out of it decades later.
• Headline: Guggenheim Museum Director Resigns in Difference of 'Ideals'; Sweeney Revised Wright's Design for Building Before Opening Last October SWEENEY RESIGNS GUGGENHEIM POST. Impact: Sweeney's resignation from the Guggenheim Museum sparked debates about artistic integrity and the direction of modern art. This eventually led to museums filled with installations that ask existential questions, like, 'Is this really art, or did I just leave my laundry on the floor?'. Fact: Art directors resigning over differences in ideals is like your favorite café changing its coffee blend; you know it’s going to stir up drama, but in the end, it's just coffee.
• Headline: LEVITT TO STUMP FOR PARTY TICKET; Controller's Plan for State Drive Seen as Bid for Post as Coordinator. Impact: Levitt's stumping for the party ticket foreshadowed the rise of celebrity endorsements in politics, paving the way for future candidates to think that just being famous was enough to win votes, because who needs policy when you have Instagram?. Fact: In the realm of politics, just remember: a good selfie can sometimes overshadow a poorly written policy paper.
• Headline: G.O.P. VIEW URGED ON SOVIET THREAT; Platform Group Hears Call for 'Effective Position' -- Rights Plank Debated. Impact: The G.O.P.'s call for a strong position against the Soviet threat set the tone for Cold War politics, creating a world where anyone with a good soundbite could be seen as a hero or a villain, depending on the day. Fact: In political debates, the only thing more predictable than the rhetoric is that someone will inevitably bring up communism, even if it's just to win an argument over who left the dishes in the sink.