MAY 20, 1970

Full News Archive

• Headline: U.N. Agency's Air Pollution Measurement Plan. Impact: The establishment of pollution measurement stations in isolated areas led to an international obsession with air quality. Fast forward a few decades, and people are now fighting over who gets to plant trees in their backyards—because apparently, that's the only way to stop the air from tasting like a barbecue pit.. Fact: Did you know that before this, people thought 'clean air' was just a myth, like unicorns or the existence of a functional Congress?.
• Headline: Marcos Spinelli, Celebrated Novelist, Passes Away. Impact: Marcos Spinelli’s death triggered a literary renaissance where aspiring novelists everywhere decided they could write one more book to fill the void. Spoiler alert: they couldn't.. Fact: Did you know Spinelli once said that every great novel starts with a terrible first draft? Too bad most of us stop there..
• Headline: Stock Margin Accounts Hit New Low. Impact: The drop in collateral on margin accounts led to a stock market panic that made everyone question their life choices, resulting in a few dozen 'financial advisors' suddenly becoming life coaches instead. Who knew bad investments could lead to a career change?. Fact: Did you know that margin accounts are like the 'buy now, pay later' scheme for wealthy folks? Guess they didn't read the fine print..
• Headline: Functional Illiteracy Found High in U.S. In Study at Harvard. Impact: This Harvard study on functional illiteracy led to a nationwide 'Reading is Fundamental' campaign. Ironically, it also made people realize that reading the fine print in their credit card agreements was just as crucial.. Fact: Did you know that if the estimate was 50% instead of 8.3%, that would mean half of us might be misunderstanding our Netflix subscription renewals?.
• Headline: BANK‐YIELD RISES CALLED NIXON AIM. Impact: Nixon's aim to raise bank yields led to the modern-day obsession with interest rates, which now dominate conversations at dinner parties—because who doesn’t love a good chat about financial regulations?. Fact: Did you know that the FDIC is like that friend who keeps reminding you to save money, even when you just want to splurge on avocado toast?.
• Headline: Company to Get Cash. Impact: The financial aid to the company marked the beginning of a trend where businesses realized they could just ask the government for money instead of actually working hard. This eventually led to the rise of 'crowdfunding'—which is just asking strangers for money on the internet.. Fact: Did you know that this is how most tech startups are born? 'Hey, I have a great idea! Can you fund my dreams?'.
• Headline: Dutch Women's Lib: Whistling at Men. Impact: The Dutch women's liberation movement's whistling at men became a global phenomenon, leading to a new form of flirtation that confused generations. Now, whistling is just a way to get someone's attention without actually having to talk to them.. Fact: Did you know that this was the birth of the 'whistle-blowers' in society? Not the kind who report scandals, but the ones who just want attention from across the street..
• Headline: MRS. EDWIN N. CLARK. Impact: The mention of Mrs. Edwin N. Clark in the headlines led to a brief resurgence of interest in the lives of women married to prominent men. This ultimately resulted in the 'hidden figures' phenomenon, where we realized just how many women were doing incredible things behind the scenes.. Fact: Did you know that if you put all the remarkable women who were overshadowed by their husbands in a room, they would probably take over the world? But they’d have to agree on a meeting time first..
• Headline: Public Broadcasting Corp. Gets Two New Directors. Impact: The appointment of new directors at the Public Broadcasting Corp. led to a shift in programming that only slightly improved educational content on TV. It was a bold attempt to make learning more entertaining, which mostly resulted in more puppets.. Fact: Did you know that PBS often faces funding issues? They should just start a Kickstarter called 'Help Us Keep the Puppets Alive!'.