JUNE 23, 1971

Full News Archive

• Headline: Chrysler and Mitsubishi Forge Historic Alliance. Impact: When Chrysler and Mitsubishi decided to join forces, they inadvertently set off a series of events that led to an unexpected rise in car enthusiasts wearing Hawaiian shirts and flip-flops worldwide. Who knew that a capital tie-up could lead to such fashion choices?. Fact: Mitsubishi once produced a car that could be mistaken for a small spaceship. Unfortunately, it didn’t fly off the lot..
• Headline: Johnson's 1968 Decision on Vietnam. Impact: The decision to reduce US troops in Vietnam may have inadvertently led to the rise of coffee culture in America. As fewer soldiers returned home, more people had the time to sip lattes and debate geopolitics at local cafes.. Fact: The '68 decision was so popular, it inspired several sequels, but none quite matched the original's drama..
• Headline: Adoption Battle for Baby Lenore. Impact: The custody battle over Baby Lenore might have sparked the trend of reality TV family dramas decades later. Who knew a courtroom could be the birthplace of a genre?. Fact: Custody cases are where courtroom dramas meet soap operas, minus the dramatic music and plot twists that would make Shakespeare proud..
• Headline: Job Action in Philadelphia. Impact: The teachers' walkout in Philadelphia might have been the catalyst for future protests, which eventually led to the invention of the 'teacher's coffee break'—a sacred ritual today.. Fact: A one-day walkout in Philly was the start of many 'educational holidays'—also known as snow days, but with more paperwork..
• Headline: SENATE BACKS A VIETNAM PULLOUT IN 9 MONTHS IF P.O.W.'S ARE FREED. Impact: The Senate's decision on Vietnam was like a game of political ping-pong that eventually led to the rise of protest songs. A few years later, everyone was singing about peace, love, and free hugs.. Fact: The amendment passed by a slim margin, which is pretty much how any significant decision in history seems to happen—by the skin of its teeth..
• Headline: Critics Assert A.S.P.C.A. Here Is Guilty of Cruelty to Animals. Impact: The accusations against the ASPCA for animal cruelty turned public perception on its head, leading to the rise of social media campaigns that would one day make every cat a celebrity.. Fact: The ASPCA's practices sparked a social movement—because nothing says 'we care' like a hashtag and a cute animal picture..
• Headline: REVIEW OF REPORT PROPOSED BY U.S.. Impact: The tightening of overseas mail rules for narcotics paved the way for the modern-day 'return to sender'—a phrase that now haunts anyone who ever tried mailing a birthday gift.. Fact: Sealed letters being opened for narcotics is just a fancy way of saying 'Who doesn't love a surprise package? Just not this kind.'.
• Headline: Overseas Mail Rule Stiffened.