FEBRUARY 20, 1962

Full News Archive

• Headline: Kennedy Faces Criticism Over Judicial Appointments. Impact: This little squabble over judges led to the eventual rise of reality TV judges, because who needs legal expertise when you can just be famous?. Fact: Did you know that the American Bar Association once thought it could achieve world peace through law? Spoiler alert: it didn't..
• Headline: Concerns Over Berlin Air Corridors. Impact: The 'Hocus-Pocus' of the Berlin Airlift inspired countless magic shows, proving that even during Cold War tensions, people just wanted to be entertained.. Fact: Fun fact: 'Hocus-Pocus' was not just a magic phrase; it was also the state of U.S.-Soviet relations during the Berlin Airlift..
• Headline: National Park Commemorates President Lincoln. Impact: By honoring Lincoln, this park inadvertently sparked a nationwide obsession with national monuments, leading to selfie sticks and a whole lot of park rangers dealing with tourists.. Fact: Abraham Lincoln once said that if he were two-faced, would he be wearing this one? Ironically, he never had to worry about a selfie..
• Headline: SOVIET SHIP BOARDED; Izvestia Says U.S. Soldiers Sealed Radio in Canal Zone. Impact: The boarding of this Soviet ship was like opening Pandora's box—only instead of chaos, we got a long-standing tradition of international maritime misunderstandings.. Fact: Sealing radios on ships was considered a great way to prevent eavesdropping. Today, we just use mute buttons on Zoom..
• Headline: U.N. Africa Conference Opens. Impact: The opening of this conference was the first step toward a series of U.N. events that would eventually lead to endless debates over coffee and croissants.. Fact: The U.N. may not solve all the world's problems, but it sure knows how to keep a buffet stocked during conferences!.
• Headline: JAKARTA TO GET U.S. FOOD; Proceeds of 92 Million Deal Will Aid Development. Impact: This deal for U.S. food aid kickstarted a culinary revolution in Indonesia, eventually leading to the birth of fusion cuisine and the avocado toast trend.. Fact: The U.S. food aid was less about charity and more about making sure the world had enough peanut butter to go around..
• Headline: GLENN ORBIT SHOT TODAY INDICATED; Launching Set for 7:30 A.M. --Astronaut Is Calm GLENN ORBIT SHOT TODAY INDICATED. Impact: John Glenn's orbit around the Earth led to a celestial obsession with space travel, resulting in the creation of countless sci-fi movies and a whole industry of alien conspiracy theories.. Fact: John Glenn was so calm during his launch, you'd think he was just headed to a brunch instead of outer space. Cheers to that!.