MAY 2, 1938

MONDAY
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
Bringing Up Baby
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Bringing Up Baby
Bluebeard's Eighth Wife
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Bluebeard's Eighth Wife
The Adventures of Marco Polo
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The Adventures of Marco Polo
Jezebel
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Jezebel
Algiers
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Algiers
Mad About Music
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Mad About Music
Merrily We Live
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Merrily We Live
The Buccaneer
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The Buccaneer
The Baroness and the Butler
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The Baroness and the Butler
A Yank at Oxford
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A Yank at Oxford
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

May 2, 1938 Trivia

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Exact-date daily brief

May 2, 1938

On May 2, 1938, the famed sailing vessel 'The Yankee' returned to Gloucester, Massachusetts, after completing an impressive 35,000-mile world cruise. This significant maritime event showcased the spirit of adventure and exploratio...

Inventions & Breakthroughs of May 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 May 2, 1938

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Yankee Schooner Completes Epic Voyage. Impact: Little did the crew know that their epic journey would inspire a future generation of couch potatoes to take cruise vacations, leading to a global epidemic of sunburn and buffet overindulgence. Fact: Did you know that 'Yankee' is actually just a term for Americans who can't resist a good nautical adventure, regardless of their ability to navigate in a straight line?.
  • Headline: Chauffeur Licensing Renewal Begins Today. Impact: The strict licensing rules led to the invention of ride-sharing apps decades later, where people would dodge the 'firm deadline' by simply hopping into a stranger's carβ€”because who needs regulations, right?. Fact: I bet half of the chauffeurs were just hoping for a chance to drive around while pretending they were in a James Bond movie.
  • Headline: Hudson River Exhibition Now Opens. Impact: This exhibition marked the beginning of an endless cycle of art snobbery, leading to an explosion of pretentious gallery openings where people paid too much for avocado toast and overpriced wine. Fact: They say art is subjective, but let's be realβ€”some of it is just a canvas splattered with paint that a toddler could've done while having a tantrum.
  • Headline: Orthodontia Society Meets. Impact: This meeting set off a chain reaction that led to the invention of invisible braces, resulting in a world where teenagers can hide their metal mouthsβ€”finally freeing them from the fate of being teased. Fact: Fun fact: The only thing straighter than orthodontist's teeth is their sense of humor.
  • Headline: SQUADRON A HOLDS MEMORIAL SERVICE; Active and Former Members of 101st Cavalry Unit Pay Tribute to Comrades HEAR SERMON ON PEACE Dr. Darlington Assails Those Who Would Sacrifice Right for Personal Comfort. Impact: This solemn event served as a reminder that peace often comes at a heavy cost, and that people often forget the sacrifice until the next war is on the horizon. Fact: Memorial services are a fascinating blend of grief and reflection, reminding us that history is often written in the blood of those who fought for peace.
  • Headline: BROTHER FLORENTIUS; Catholic High School Director in Lawrence, Mass., Served Here. Impact: Brother Florentius’s dedication to education sparked a movement that led more kids to avoid school altogetherβ€”because who wants to deal with a strict director when you can just binge-watch TV instead?. Fact: They say behind every great educator is a mountain of paperwork, coffee, and a healthy dose of regret for choosing this career path.
  • Headline: 19 KILLED IN CRASH OF ITALIAN PLANE; $1,000,000 in Gems Lost When Ship Burns 'After Mishap-American Woman Dies Consul Left Plane. Impact: The tragic crash served as a grim reminder of the risks associated with air travel, leading to stricter safety regulations that wouldn't kick in until decades later, ironically making flying more popular. Fact: In aviation history, this incident reminds us that, unfortunately, not all gems are worth the risk of flyingβ€”especially if you're carrying them on a plane!.
  • Headline: Rutledge--Sillery. Impact: This seemingly innocuous announcement of a marriage may have sparked debates about wedding registries, leading to the modern tradition of couples asking for gifts that they don’t needβ€”but hey, who doesn’t want a blender?. Fact: Fun fact: Weddings are the only events where people will spend a fortune on a party just to get a toaster they didn't ask for.

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