Breakthroughs and everyday innovations from the year.
HEADLINES ON December 27, 1979
Full News Archive
- Headline: Becton After Sun Co.'s Strategic Expansion. Impact: The expansion plans of Becton after the siege somehow led to an increase in the number of people trying to make profits off medical supplies, creating a bizarre competition that ultimately resulted in a black market for overpriced band-aids.. Fact: It's amazing how a siege can lead a company to think, 'You know what we need? More profits!' Because who doesn’t want to cash in on chaos, right?.
- Headline: Books: The Warrior Architect of Pearl Harbor. Impact: This book’s release not only rekindled interest in World War II strategies but also inspired a generation of armchair generals who now think they could lead armies based on a few chapters read during lunch breaks.. Fact: Fun fact: Yamamoto famously said, 'I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant,' which is a nice way of saying, 'Oops, we might have messed up!'.
- Headline: Snake Cuts Power in Ivory Coast. Impact: After a snake caused a power outage, thousands of people began to fear reptiles, leading to a series of bizarre snake-hunting competitions that somehow became a local sport.. Fact: Did you know that snakes are often blamed for things that go wrong? If your Wi-Fi is down, just blame a snake—it’s the perfect scapegoat!.
- Headline: Rhodesia Rebels Get Tumultuous Welcome Home. Impact: The return of Rhodesian rebels sparked an unexpected revival of grassroots movements, which eventually led to the rise of hipster political collectives that meet in coffee shops to discuss revolution over artisanal lattes.. Fact: Isn't it funny how rebels can come home and be treated like rock stars? Next thing you know, they’ll be signing autographs and starting a merchandising line!.
- Headline: City's Comqiercial‐Loft Dwellers Win a Key Tenant Rights Ruling. Impact: This ruling created a domino effect of tenant rights movements across the U.S., with landlords scrambling to find loopholes that could outsmart the system—because who doesn’t love a good legal battle over rent?. Fact: Fun fact: New York's rent stabilization laws are so complex that even the lawyers need lawyers just to interpret them. It's like a legal labyrinth!.
- Headline: Conservatives in Idaho Pressing. Impact: The conservative push against the Church not only altered the political landscape in Idaho but also inspired an entire generation of campaign slogans that made absolutely no sense.. Fact: Did you know Idaho is known for its potatoes? Because when politics gets tough, everyone just wants to hash it out over some fries!.
- Headline: Hi1de Somer,49,Dead; A Noted Concert Pianist. Impact: The death of noted concert pianist Hilde Somer led to a resurgence of classical music appreciation, but also caused a spike in piano sales, as people suddenly thought they could be the next musical prodigy.. Fact: Isn't it ironic? People who couldn’t tell a C from a G suddenly think they can play like a concert pianist. Spoiler alert: they can’t!.
- Headline: U.S. REPORTS SOVIET FLYING MANY TROOPS TO AFGHAN CONFLICT. Impact: The Soviet deployment to Afghanistan set off a chain reaction that led to decades of geopolitical tension and inspired a multitude of action movies where the bad guys are always 'the Soviets'—because nothing sells tickets like a villain with a thick accent.. Fact: Did you know that this conflict was the Soviet Union's version of a never-ending road trip? Except instead of fun stops, they just encountered resistance and a lot of mud..
- Headline: Roosevelt Statue Blown Up. Impact: The destruction of the Roosevelt statue turned into a symbolic rallying point for political discussions, eventually leading to an increase in statue-toppling events, as if that would somehow solve all the world's problems.. Fact: Fun fact: Statues seem to have a better chance of getting blown up than actually being revered. Who knew history had such a short attention span?.
Wall Street Time Machine
WMT
Walmart
Walmart - If you invested $1,000 in 1979, it would be worth $6,997,064 today (6997.1x return)
INTC
Intel
Intel - If you invested $1,000 in 1979, it would be worth $199,890 today (199.9x return)
JNJ
Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson - If you invested $1,000 in 1979, it would be worth $417,979 today (418.0x return)