JUNE 4, 1972

Full News Archive

• Headline: Irish Ceasefire and Political Maneuvering. Impact: Lynch's selective arrests inadvertently led to a new genre of political commentary, where the only thing more confused than the ceasefire was the historians trying to explain it. This confusion paved the way for decades of overly complicated Irish jokes. Fact: Did you know that the only thing more complex than the Ulster crisis is trying to explain it to someone who thinks the IRA is just a new type of Irish whiskey?.
• Headline: POINT OF VIEW. Impact: Kindleberger's insights about the dollar standard led to numerous 'dollar bill' parties, where people don costumes made of currency. Surprisingly, this did nothing for the economy but resulted in a lot of awkward dance moves. Fact: Did you know that the only thing more volatile than the dollar in '71 was people's hairstyles? The '70s were a wild time for both economics and hair gel.
• Headline: McGovern's Big Chance. Impact: McGovern's push for reform inadvertently led to the rise of social media influencers, who now claim they can change the world with a tweet—because who needs real political reform when you can just hashtag it?. Fact: Did you know that McGovern's campaign slogan was almost 'Make Politics Boring Again'? But then they realized that would just be a play on words for most political discussions.
• Headline: Aftermath of Lydda.... Impact: The massacre at Lod airport deepened the complexities of Middle Eastern politics, leading to an ongoing debate that historians still haven't figured out how to summarize in less than a week. Fact: Did you know that the Lydda massacre was one of the events that inspired countless documentaries, proving once and for all that tragedy sells—especially when paired with dramatic music.
• Headline: Run the Gantlet, $6.40, Victor on Belmont Grass. Impact: Run the Gantlet's victory led to the world's first 'racing horse' sponsorship deals, where horses began demanding better contracts and guaranteed hay supplies, changing the face of equine sports forever. Fact: Did you know that 'Run the Gantlet' was almost named 'Run the Gauntlet' but they decided to avoid any confusion with medieval torture devices?.
• Headline: Protestants Clash With Soldiers in Londonderry. Impact: This clash sparked a series of misunderstandings that led to the invention of 'peaceful protest' as a global concept—because if people can yell at each other, they might as well make it fashionable. Fact: Did you know that the only thing louder than the protests in Londonderry was the sound of politicians trying to spin the events into a soundbite?.
• Headline: Best Feet Went Forward in Benefit. Impact: The East Hampton to Montauk walkathon inadvertently established the trend of 'walking for causes,' which eventually led to people walking for the cause of just wanting to be seen as healthy. Fact: Did you know that the only thing more exhausting than a walkathon is listening to someone talk about how great their walkathon was?.