FEBRUARY 14, 1969

Full News Archive

• Headline: Paris Peace Talks Resume Amidst Stalemate. Impact: The endless cycle of peace talks in Paris led to a series of negotiations that made future diplomats keenly aware that discussing peace could be more exhausting than war itself. This ultimately resulted in the invention of the coffee break.. Fact: Despite the countless hours of talks, no one ever thought to add snacks. Apparently, hunger isn’t conducive to peace..
• Headline: Warsaw Pact Defense Conference in East Germany. Impact: The Warsaw Pact aides' conference was just the beginning of a long history of secret meetings that would eventually inspire countless conspiracy theories about what really goes on behind closed doors. Spoiler alert: it's mostly just snacks.. Fact: The term 'Pact' was actually a typo; it was supposed to be 'snack' because they had no actual plans..
• Headline: F-111A Disappearance Sparks Search Efforts. Impact: The missing F-111A sparked a national obsession with 'Where's Waldo?' style searches, leading to a boom in outdoor adventure gear as civilians took to the wilds to hunt for their own missing items.. Fact: Ironically, the F-111A's disappearance led to a spike in local wilderness survival courses—because nothing says 'I love flying' like being lost in the woods..
• Headline: Dutch Jesuit Foes of Celibacy Urged by Superior to Recant. Impact: The push against celibacy among Jesuits caused a ripple effect that led to a renaissance of open discussions about religious practices, eventually leading to modern-day debates about faith and personal choices.. Fact: If only the Jesuits had a reality show, we could have saved time and just watched their drama unfold on screen..
• Headline: Troops Use Tear Gas at U. of Wisconsin;; Madison Calms Down Guard Troops Use Tear Gas at U. of Wisconsin. Impact: The use of tear gas at the University of Wisconsin ignited a fervor for student activism, ultimately inspiring a generation to realize that when you can't breathe, it's time for a change.. Fact: This event marked the beginning of the saying 'No pain, no gain,' although most students were just hoping for 'No gas, more peace.'.
• Headline: Philippine Air Crash Kills 19. Impact: The tragic air crash in the Philippines served as a grim reminder of the dangers of air travel, leading to stricter regulations that would eventually make flying safer—unless you count turbulence.. Fact: This crash inspired the creation of the 'better safe than sorry' mantra that still has people choosing the window seat for the view, even if it’s just clouds..
• Headline: Nixon Picks Official Photographs. Impact: Nixon's selection of his official photographs became a blueprint for future politicians' PR strategies, leading to the rise of carefully curated social media profiles in the modern age.. Fact: Nixon’s choice of photos was so controversial that it sparked an underground movement of 'bad politician selfies' decades before Instagram made it cool..
• Headline: Glowing Red Trail Of Rocket Visible In Night Sky Here. Impact: The glowing red trail of the experimental rockets made for a great story and sparked a trend in skywatching that eventually led to the rise of UFO enthusiasts claiming they saw aliens—because who wouldn’t want to believe they saw something that cool?. Fact: This event was the real inspiration behind the phrase 'shoot for the stars,' which later became very popular with aspiring astronauts and kids everywhere..