Breakthroughs and everyday innovations from the year.
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The biggest hits of the year — Top 10 Pop & Country chart toppers
HEADLINES ON October 20, 1973
Full News Archive
- Headline: Exploring Style and Financial Simplicity. Impact: As people learned to live without their beloved material possessions, thrift stores became the new cathedrals of consumerism. The 'less is more' mantra sparked a revolution, leading to the rise of minimalism and, eventually, the hipster movement where ironic mustaches and vintage typewriters became the symbols of superiority.. Fact: Ironically, the more we try to simplify our lives, the more complicated it becomes to explain why we only eat organic kale and ride unicycles..
- Headline: Dave Anderson. Impact: Anderson’s coverage of the World Series was so riveting that it inadvertently inspired a generation of sports commentators to think they were actually important, leading to a timeline where color commentary became an Olympic sport.. Fact: Sports commentary: where everyone's opinion is valid, except for the players on the field..
- Headline: Focus Shifts to Suez. Impact: The shift in focus to the Suez Canal not only altered military strategies but also inadvertently inspired countless spy novels and movies, leading to a whole genre focused on canals, spies, and the occasional boat mishap.. Fact: The Suez Canal has seen more military strategies than a game of chess between two over-caffeinated grandmasters..
- Headline: People and Business. Impact: Pan Am’s executive reshuffle was a classic case of 'new boss, same as the old boss,' perpetuating the cycle of corporate mediocrity that continues to plague the airline industry, leading to a future where passengers are treated like cattle and flights are as punctual as a broken clock.. Fact: Pan Am was once the pinnacle of air travel, a title now held by the mythical 'Flight That Never Delays.'.
- Headline: The President's Stand. Impact: Nixon's infamous compromise proposal on the tapes created such a constitutional crisis that it became a textbook case for 'how to not handle a scandal,' giving future leaders a masterclass in how to deflect and deny.. Fact: Nixon's approach was so groundbreaking that it inspired a generation of politicians to perfect the art of 'I didn't do it, and if I did, it wasn't that bad.'.
- Headline: Censors Are Active on Both Sides in Mideast War. Impact: The active censorship during the Mideast War fostered a culture of misinformation that would later inspire a whole new breed of journalists and conspiracy theorists, leading to the internet's obsession with 'fake news' decades later.. Fact: Censorship: the universal way of making sure that the truth is as hard to find as a needle in a haystack—if the haystack was on fire..
- Headline: Arab Emirate Said to Seek Big Bank Loan in London. Impact: Abu Dhabi's quest for a massive bank loan was the beginning of a financial trend that would lead to a future where oil-rich countries would become financial powerhouses, inadvertently creating a competition for who can build the most extravagant skyscrapers.. Fact: In the world of finance, asking for a loan is basically the adult version of saying, 'Can I borrow your toy for a little bit?'.
Wall Street Time Machine
PG
Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble - If you invested $1,000 in 1973, it would be worth $185,625 today (185.6x return)
CVX
Chevron
Chevron - If you invested $1,000 in 1973, it would be worth $200,926 today (200.9x return)
MO
Philip Morris
Philip Morris - If you invested $1,000 in 1973, it would be worth $2,433,689 today (2433.7x return)