FEBRUARY 9, 1938

WEDNESDAY
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
Learn More
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
2 Boys Town
Learn More
Boys Town
3 Alexander's Ragtime Band
Learn More
Alexander's Ragtime Band
4 Test Pilot
Learn More
Test Pilot
5 You Can't Take It with You
Learn More
You Can't Take It with You
6 Sweethearts
Learn More
Sweethearts
7 In Old Chicago
Learn More
In Old Chicago
8 The Adventures of Robin Hood
Learn More
The Adventures of Robin Hood
9 Love Finds Andy Hardy
Learn More
Love Finds Andy Hardy
10 Marie Antoinette
Learn More
Marie Antoinette
Algiers
Learn More
Algiers
The Buccaneer
Learn More
The Buccaneer
After the Thin Man
Learn More
After the Thin Man
The Good Earth
Learn More
The Good Earth
Nothing Sacred
Learn More
Nothing Sacred
The Hurricane
Learn More
The Hurricane
The Prisoner of Zenda
Learn More
The Prisoner of Zenda
Conquest
Learn More
Conquest
Heidi
Learn More
Heidi
True Confession
Learn More
True Confession
Madame X
Learn More
Madame X

February 9, 1938 Trivia

Multiple choice - Sign in to save + leaderboard - View all-time leaderboard
Score: 0 / 0
All-time leaderboard
Your results

Exact-date daily brief

February 9, 1938

On February 9, 1938, the U.S. Navy announced a significant shift in its Mediterranean operations, with the cruiser Omaha being deployed to replace the Raleigh in the Mediterranean Squadron. This decision was part of a broader stra...

Inventions & Breakthroughs of February 1938

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

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

The Sounds of

Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year

Headlines From February 9, 1938

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Omaha Joins Mediterranean Squadron. Impact: The Cruiser Omaha's shift set off a chain reaction in naval strategy, leading to the invention of the 'medieval naval joust', which surprisingly became popular at renaissance fairs. Fact: Did you know that the Raleigh was replaced because it kept trying to order drinks from the ship's bar during maneuvers? Talk about a cruiser with priorities!.
  • Headline: Legislative Milestone: Unemployment and Housing Bill. Impact: The passing of the Lehman Bills was the spark that ignited a century-long debate about whether to fund the arts or keep feeding the unemployed. Spoiler: we’re still arguing. Fact: Fun fact: 'Unemployment Insurance' was originally designed to be a safety net, but it quickly became the net that everyone's great-aunt used for catching cat videos.
  • Headline: ARCHIBALD JAMES MASSIE. Impact: Archibald James Massie's name would eventually inspire a line of budget-friendly historical fiction novels, proving that even the most mundane names can become bestsellers!. Fact: Fun fact: If you say 'Archibald James Massie' three times fast in front of a mirror, a poorly written history book will appear.
  • Headline: PLAN TO BEAUTIFY OTTAWA; Proposed Capital Development May Take 25 to 50 Years. Impact: The beautification plan for Ottawa inadvertently made it a tourist destination for people obsessed with really, really long-term projectsβ€”think of it as the 'waiting game' of urban planning. Fact: Did you know that 'beautification' often translates to 'we're not sure what we’re doing, but it sounds nice' in government speak?.
  • Headline: ARMY BONUS FOR FLIERS; Offers $500 to Cadets Who Finish Three Years' Service. Impact: The bonus for fliers sparked a trend where every profession began offering bonuses for 'just showing up', leading to an age of unprecedented mediocrity. Fact: Fun fact: The $500 bonus was later deemed insufficient for anyone who realized they had to continue working afterward.
  • Headline: HAT-PIN IS REVIVED FOR SPRING STYLES; 1,500 at Show See the Old Fixture Make Comeback With a New Touch. Impact: The revival of the hat-pin not only brought back the danger of poking one's eye out but also inspired a generation of fashion designers to find new ways to inflict fashion-related injuries. Fact: Did you know that hat-pins were originally made to keep hats on, but quickly became the weapon of choice for fashionistas in a pinch?.
  • Headline: 618 Italians Home From Africa. Impact: The return of 618 Italians from Africa marked the beginning of a cultural exchange that led to the invention of fusion cuisineβ€”think spaghetti tacos. Fact: Fun fact: They came back with stories of adventure, but mostly just missed their mother's cooking.
  • Headline: LABOR IN PUERTO RICO ACCEPTS ARBITRATION; Settlement of Strike Now Rests on New York Companies, Says Commissioner Rivera. Impact: The acceptance of arbitration by labor in Puerto Rico set a precedent that would eventually lead to the phrase 'let's just talk it out' becoming the official motto for every corporate meeting ever. Fact: Did you know that 'arbitration' is just a fancy word for 'we’re going to sit in a room and hope someone has good snacks'?.
  • Headline: ARMSTRONG RITES ATTENDED BY 1,000; Foreign Representatives and Leaders of Industry Honor Former Consul General. Impact: The enormous turnout for Armstrong's rites suggested to future generations that the best way to ensure people show up to your funeral is to have a good backstoryβ€”preferably involving espionage. Fact: Fun fact: It was rumored that Harry G. Armstrong had a knack for making friends, but mostly because he bought the best donuts.

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