SEPTEMBER 30, 1972

Full News Archive

• Headline: Council Proposes Bill for Air-Conditioner Transparency. Impact: The air-conditioning bill led to a nationwide obsession with climate control, indirectly causing the rise of 'air-conditioned' debates in every household in America. To this day, families argue over the optimal temperature, while secretly plotting to overthrow the thermostat.. Fact: Did you know that air-conditioning was originally invented to keep printing presses from smudging? So basically, it was all about ensuring that your grocery store coupons were legible..
• Headline: Pacific Telephone Posts Increased Earnings. Impact: Pacific Telephone's earnings increase led to an unexpected mini-boom in the '80s tech industry, as their profits inspired a generation to believe in the magical world of telecommunications—ultimately leading to the creation of the infamous 'Can you hear me now?' campaign.. Fact: Surprisingly, the original 'telephone' was just a fancy way for people to argue without being in the same room. Some things never change..
• Headline: US Foreign Investment Insights from 1972. Impact: The reported net inflow of cash from foreign subsidiaries sparked a chain reaction in the stock market, leading to the creation of a new breed of financial advisors who claimed they could predict the next big investment based on the color of the latest Wall Street tie.. Fact: In 1972, foreign investments were so popular that people thought about starting 'Guess the Investment' parties, which never caught on—probably because everyone was too busy watching paint dry..
• Headline: Freed Pilots Begin Tests and Are Visited by Families. Impact: The return of the pilots and their subsequent media attention led to the modern-day phenomenon of reality TV, where families are reunited in front of cameras, and everyone pretends to care about the drama.. Fact: You know, being a POW was a little less dramatic than the movies make it seem. Most of the time, they just wanted to get back home and binge-watch a good series—if only they had Netflix..
• Headline: SENATE VOTE BARS CUTS IN WELFARE AS PENSIONS RISE. Impact: The Senate's vote to protect welfare while pensions rose inadvertently paved the way for future politicians to promise 'free stuff' to everyone, leading to the current state of political promises that sound too good to be true.. Fact: Isn't it heartwarming that politicians back then were at least pretending to care about welfare? Nowadays, they’re more focused on whose Instagram post gets the most likes..
• Headline: Newsmen Protest Curbs. Impact: The newsmen's protest marked the birth of media sensationalism, where every tiny protest led to a bigger scandal, ultimately resulting in the 24-hour news cycle we know and love (or loathe) today.. Fact: Protesting outside a hospital is basically the 'I want to talk to the manager' of the journalism world. Spoiler: you never get to talk to the manager..
• Headline: U.S. Planned More Gradual Homecoming for P.O.W.'s. Impact: The complications surrounding the POWs' return played a key role in shaping U.S. military policy, creating a legacy of convoluted operations that would eventually contribute to the never-ending saga of bureaucracy.. Fact: Operation Egress Recap sounds like a failed mission in a video game. Spoiler alert: It was. The players just didn't know how to exit the game properly..
• Headline: 5 Missing in Ship Fire. Impact: The ship fire incident led to a heightened awareness of maritime safety regulations, causing an uptick in 'Don't Go Near the Water' campaigns, which, funnily enough, did not include a disclaimer for drinks at beach parties.. Fact: Five missing men and two bodies recovered? Sounds like the start of a bad horror movie. Spoiler alert: They probably don't have a sequel..
• Headline: THE 1972 CAMPAIGN. Impact: Vice President Agnew being heckled marked the beginning of the age of political heckling, leading to the current state of political rallies where insults fly faster than campaign promises.. Fact: Heckling a politician is basically the modern version of a gladiator fight, except the lions are replaced with angry constituents and the arena is Twitter..