JULY 28, 1965

Full News Archive

• Headline: G.M. Sets Earnings Record in 1965. Impact: GM's booming earnings led to a car-centric culture that would eventually require entire cities to be designed around parking lots. Thanks, GM, for the sprawling asphalt jungles we call cities today.. Fact: Did you know that GM's profits helped fund the early development of the suburban sprawl? Because who doesn’t love a good, long commute?.
• Headline: Illinois Central Railroad Asset Acquisition. Impact: This sale contributed to the consolidation of railroads, leading to the eventual decline of passenger trains. Now we only have Amtrak to remind us of what could have been, like a long-lost love.. Fact: Fun fact: The only thing moving faster than the sale was the decline of passenger rail service in America. Who needs trains when you have cars, right?.
• Headline: POLES TO ADOPT PROFIT ECONOMY; But Official Says Planning Controls Will Be Retained. Impact: The transition to a profit economy in Poland set the stage for a rollercoaster ride of capitalism, with ups and downs that could make anyone dizzy. It's like a financial theme park, minus the fun.. Fact: Did you know that 'planning controls' and 'profit economy' are like oil and water? They don’t mix well, but they sure make for interesting headlines!.
• Headline: PRESIDENT SIGNS CIGARETTES BILL; Measure Requires Warning Label on Packs After Jan. 1. Impact: This bill sparked a health awareness movement that would take decades to fully sink in. Thanks to these warning labels, people began to think, 'Maybe smoking isn’t the best idea?'. Fact: Fun fact: The $10,000 fine for non-compliance was a real threat to manufacturers, but I can only imagine the meetings where they debated whether to spend it on compliance or an extra-long coffee break..
• Headline: Emphasis on Education; Gardner's Appointment to Cabinet Puts School Problems in Agency's Limelight. Impact: Gardner's appointment would eventually lead to a series of educational reforms that promised change but often delivered just more paperwork. Because who doesn’t love paperwork?. Fact: Did you know that the term 'education reform' is often code for 'let's throw money at the problem and hope it magically fixes itself'?.
• Headline: New York Exchange Seat Is Sold for $190,000 Price. Impact: The skyrocketing price of an exchange seat foreshadowed the wild rollercoaster of Wall Street that would follow. It's like buying a ticket to a theme park where the rides are all based on market fluctuations.. Fact: Fun fact: For $190,000, you could buy a seat at the exchange, or you could just buy a house in some parts of the country. Priorities, am I right?.
• Headline: Nkrumah Aide Opens Talks In Hanoi on Vietnam War. Impact: These talks added another layer to the complex web of international relations during the Vietnam War, proving that geopolitics is just a game of who can out-nice the other.. Fact: Did you know that while these talks were happening, the phrase 'let's talk it out' was being used in boardrooms around the world, usually to avoid actual conflict?.
• Headline: SUPERIORS TAPPED TAX AGENT PHONES; Revenue Officials Disclose Surveillance of Suspects. Impact: This surveillance set a precedent for government monitoring that would eventually lead to widespread public paranoia about privacy. Because nothing says 'trust your government' quite like tapping phones.. Fact: Fun fact: The IRS has been monitoring tax agents long enough to make you wonder if they need to start their own reality show. 'Real Agents of the IRS,' anyone?.
• Headline: SENATE HEARINGS ON GUN BILL END; Dodd Predicts 'Good, Strong' Measure on Mail Sale. Impact: These hearings were just the beginning of a never-ending cycle of gun legislation debates, proving that Congress could indeed turn a simple question into a years-long saga.. Fact: Did you know that 'good, strong measure' is just political jargon for 'we’ll try to do something, but don’t hold your breath'?.