JANUARY 21, 1938

FRIDAY
1938 Coca-Cola advertising artwork
$1,000 INVESTED IN COKE STOCK (KO) IN 1938
WOULD HAVE MADE YOU $7,318,352 IN THE 2025 DATASET
Min Wage Hourly$0.29
Median Home Price$4,300.00
Gas Price Avg$0.18
Bread Price Avg$0.09
Movie Ticket Avg$0.29
First Class Stamp$0.03
Milk Price Avg$0.54
Top Movies From 1938
Show screen release and event cards
1 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
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Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
2 Boys Town
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Boys Town
3 Alexander's Ragtime Band
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Alexander's Ragtime Band
4 Test Pilot
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Test Pilot
5 You Can't Take It with You
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You Can't Take It with You
6 Sweethearts
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Sweethearts
7 In Old Chicago
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In Old Chicago
8 The Adventures of Robin Hood
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The Adventures of Robin Hood
9 Love Finds Andy Hardy
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Love Finds Andy Hardy
10 Marie Antoinette
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Marie Antoinette
Algiers
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Algiers
After the Thin Man
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After the Thin Man
The Good Earth
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The Good Earth
Nothing Sacred
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Nothing Sacred
The Hurricane
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The Hurricane
The Prisoner of Zenda
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The Prisoner of Zenda
Conquest
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Conquest
Heidi
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Heidi
True Confession
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True Confession
Madame X
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Madame X

January 21, 1938 Trivia

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Exact-date daily brief

January 21, 1938

On January 21, 1938, labor unrest continued to dominate Puerto Rico as the island faced a significant strike. Despite pleas for conciliation, the government remained unresponsive, plunging the region into further chaos. Meanwhile,...

Inventions & Breakthroughs of January 1938

Gadgets, lab surprises, odd bets, and future-shocks from this slice of the calendar.

1 Ballpoint Pen
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Ballpoint Pen
2 Atomic Fission Discovery
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Atomic Fission Discovery
3 Polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon)
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Polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon)
4 Duplex Transmission Radio
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Duplex Transmission Radio
5 Gas Turbine Engine Improvements
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Gas Turbine Engine Improvements
6 Automatic Telephone Switching
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Automatic Telephone Switching
7 Instant Coffee
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Instant Coffee
8 Television Camera Tube Improvements
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Television Camera Tube Improvements
9 Aircraft Cabin Oxygen Systems
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Aircraft Cabin Oxygen Systems
10 Electric Hearing Aid
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Electric Hearing Aid

The Sounds of

Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year

Headlines From January 21, 1938

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Puerto Rico Strike Stalemate in 1938. Impact: This strike went on to ignite a series of protests that ultimately inspired future generations to stage their own strikes for various causes. Who knew that ignoring compromise could lead to a nationwide trend of shouting loudly enough until someone listens?. Fact: Despite the dire situation, it turns out the governor's real talent was in being hospitalized during crises. Maybe he should have taken a masterclass in negotiation instead.
  • Headline: Honorary Doctorate for Bullit. Impact: This honorary degree opened the floodgates for the world to start giving out degrees like candy, leading to countless 'Dr. Phil's' and 'Dr. Oz's' in the years to come. Thanks, University of Nancy!. Fact: Honorary degrees are the academic equivalent of participation trophies. But hey, at least Bullit gets to feel smart without doing any actual work!.
  • Headline: Enesco Leads Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall. Impact: Enesco's conducting led to a surge in classical music appreciation, eventually resulting in a hipster movement that glorifies vinyl records and mustache wax. Who knew a symphony could lead to plaid shirts?. Fact: Schubert was so prolific that you could argue he wrote more music than some people write grocery lists. Yet, here we are, still struggling to remember the last piece of classical music we heard.
  • Headline: Lord Louis Mountbatten and Lady Louis. Impact: Their arrival in the U.S. was a pivotal point for British royal visits, paving the way for future royal tours that would lead to an endless stream of tabloids and gossip columns. Long live the monarchy's PR machine!. Fact: Lord Mountbatten was the last Viceroy of India, which is a fancy way of saying he had the unenviable task of overseeing a massive political mess before leaving it all to the next guy.
  • Headline: SERVICE AWARD GOES TO W.R. WHITE; Young Men's Board of Trade Honors State Banking Chief at Luncheon Here. Impact: W.R. White's service award inspired countless others to seek out meaningless accolades, leading to a world where everyone thinks they deserve a trophy for just showing up. Thanks a lot, Young Men's Board of Trade!. Fact: Who knew that lunch could be so life-changing? It seems like a simple meal, but apparently, it's also an opportunity to hand out awards and inflate egos.
  • Headline: REV. W. H. CAMBRIDGE, CALIFORNIA RECTOR; Former St. Mark's School Master Dies in Ceylon While on Tour of World. Impact: His untimely passing in Ceylon inspired a wave of travel for the purpose of education, leading to the rise of 'worldly' educators who think they can teach from the comfort of a beach chair. Fact: Rev. Cambridge exemplifies the age-old saying: 'Never travel without a plan.' Sometimes, the world has other plans for you, and they may not include a return ticket.
  • Headline: VERSES ARE SOLD AT POETS' DINNER; Robert Nathan Disposes of Work After Reading It--Drs. Leach, Guthrie Get Medals. Impact: This event marked the beginning of poets realizing that selling their work might be a viable option, sparking a poetic renaissance that led to coffee shop open mics and that one friend who always wants to read their latest work at parties. Fact: Poetry readings: where you can witness the fine art of people trying to sound deep while hiding their existential crises behind a metaphor about the ocean.
  • Headline: SIEGFRIED' IS PRESENTED; Third Performance of Wagner Opera Given at Metropolitan. Impact: The continued popularity of Wagner's operas led to a grand tradition of overly dramatic performances and long intermissions, ultimately setting the stage for the rise of binge-watching TV shows. Thanks, Wagner!. Fact: Wagner once said, 'I am a man of the future.' Little did he know that his operas would still be making audiences squirm centuries later. That's some real dedication to the art of discomfort.
  • Headline: DAWSON D. DICKSON. Impact: Dawson Dickson's name is a reminder of the countless individuals who lived ordinary lives, yet their stories ripple through time, inspiring future generations to realize that you don't need to be famous to make an impact. But it sure helps!. Fact: Dawson Dickson: because sometimes a name alone is enough to leave people scratching their heads and wondering if they missed a major historical event.
  • Headline: MACKENZIE WINS IN SUIT; Writer Who Planned Windsor Book Will Be Paid for Libel. Impact: This libel suit set a precedent for writers everywhere, encouraging them to sue on the flimsiest of grounds. Soon, every disgruntled author would think they could cash in on their bitter literary rivalries. Fact: In the world of publishing, 'libel' is just another word for 'Oops, I probably shouldn't have said that, but hey, let's see if I can cash in on it!'.

Wall Street Time Machine

The Right Call: A historical $1,000 investment comparison using the stored long-range dataset.
Rank #1
JNJ
Johnson & Johnson
Price in 1938
$0.06
Stored value
$3,433,940

Johnson & Johnson - If you invested $1,000 in 1938, it would be worth $3,433,940 today (3433.9x return)

Rank #2
PG
Procter & Gamble
Price in 1938
$0.25
Stored value
$586,656

Procter & Gamble - If you invested $1,000 in 1938, it would be worth $586,656 today (586.7x return)

Rank #3
CVX
Chevron
Price in 1938
$0.31
Stored value
$474,914

Chevron - If you invested $1,000 in 1938, it would be worth $474,914 today (474.9x return)

🦸 Top 5 Comics
Action Comics #1
Action Comics #1
$8,000
Detective Comics #16
Detective Comics #16
$10,200
Adventure Comics #32
Adventure Comics #32
$50,000
Famous Funnies #47
Famous Funnies #47
$1,200
The Funnies #12
The Funnies #12
$42,000
🧸 Top 5 Toys
Scrabble
Scrabble
$250.00
MÀrklin Electric Trains
MÀrklin Electric Trains
$300.00
Monopoly
Monopoly
$200.00
Tinkertoys
Tinkertoys
$150.00
Radio Flyer Wagon
Radio Flyer Wagon
$120.00
⚾ Top 5 Trading Cards
1938 Gum Inc. Horrors of War #1 It's War
1938 Gum Inc. Horrors of War #1 It's War
$2,500
1938 Churchman's Boxing Personalities Joe Louis
1938 Churchman's Boxing Personalities Joe Louis
$32,000
1938 Wills's Three Castles Film Stars Clark Gable
1938 Wills's Three Castles Film Stars Clark Gable
$80,000
1938 Player's Cigarettes Film Stars Second Series Charlie Chaplin
1938 Player's Cigarettes Film Stars Second Series Charlie Chaplin
$250,000
1938 Gallaher Famous Cricketers Don Bradman
1938 Gallaher Famous Cricketers Don Bradman
$15,000