OCTOBER 18, 1968

Full News Archive

• Headline: Japan Seeks Permanent U.N. Council Seat. Impact: If Japan had gotten that permanent seat, they would have led a 'Cool Kids' table at the U.N. meetings, making everyone else jealous. Fast forward a few decades, and suddenly international relations are all about who's sitting where, leading to the rise of 'seat diplomacy'—or as I like to call it, passive-aggressive chair rearranging.. Fact: Did you know that the U.N. actually has a secret room where they store all the unused chairs? They call it 'The Hall of Regrets'—and Japan's would be the comfiest!.
• Headline: Apollo Crew Monitors Hurricanes from Space. Impact: By photographing hurricanes, the Apollo crew inadvertently sparked a trend in meteorological selfies. Now, every storm has an Instagram account and a hashtag. 'HurricaneGloria' had more followers than your average influencer.. Fact: Astronauts taking pictures of hurricanes is basically the original 'Weather Channel on the Moon'. Who knew space travel would lead to such a social media storm?.
• Headline: Queens Election Conflict Over School Superintendent. Impact: This election conflict in Queens was the spark that ignited decades of community activism, leading to the rise of social media hashtags like #NotMySuperintendent. Today, we have a whole genre of online outrage based on protests that started here. You can thank Dr. McDougall.. Fact: Protesting against school nominations is like the early version of commenting on Facebook posts—just with more picket signs and fewer emojis..
• Headline: Nobel for Literature Won by a Japanese; JAPANESE WRITER WINS NOBEL PRIZE. Impact: Kawabata winning the Nobel Prize set off a global fascination with Japanese literature, leading to a wave of sushi bars and haiku contests popping up in every city. Who knew a single award could lead to so much wasabi?. Fact: Kawabata's win was so influential that it inspired a whole generation of writers to try and rhyme 'sushi' with 'moody'..
• Headline: Zanuck Gets French Honor. Impact: Zanuck receiving a French honor led to a cultural exchange that resulted in the bizarre trend of French films featuring American cowboys. 'The Good, The Bad, and The Croissant' was almost made.. Fact: Getting a French decoration is like getting a gold star, but instead of a sticker, you get a fancy beret and a complex about your cooking skills..
• Headline: O.A.S. Council Honors The Rusks With Dinner. Impact: The dinner in honor of the Rusks led to an unintentional friendship between two political families, which eventually resulted in a reality TV show about their dinner parties. Turns out, politics is just a fancy way to throw a potluck.. Fact: O.A.S. dinners are like the original political fundraisers—except instead of overpriced wine, they served awkward small talk and cold hors d'oeuvres..
• Headline: Nixon Again Backs A Bombing Pause If It Costs No Lives; Nixon Backs a Bombing Halt if It Costs No Lives. Impact: Nixon's conditional support for a bombing halt became the blueprint for political doublespeak. Now, whenever a politician says 'if', you can bet there's a hidden agenda brewing—probably involving a secret handshake and a lot of paperwork.. Fact: Nixon's idea of a bombing pause was like saying, 'Let's take a breather while I figure out how to un-invite you to dinner.' Spoiler: the dinner never happened..
• Headline: Struck Paper Forced to Close. Impact: The closure of Struck Paper kickstarted a paperless office revolution. Now, people think trees are just a 'suggestion' for making paper, while the planet rolls its eyes in despair.. Fact: Struck Paper's closure was the beginning of the end for paper products—now we just throw everything into the cloud, which, ironically, is where all the good trees went for a vacation..