MAY 31, 1938

TUESDAY
$1,000 INVESTED IN COKE STOCK (KO) IN 1938
WOULD HAVE MADE YOU $7,318,352 IN 2025
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 By May 31, 1938
1 The Adventures of Robin Hood
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The Adventures of Robin Hood
2 Alexander's Ragtime Band
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Alexander's Ragtime Band
3 Holiday
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Holiday
4 Vivacious Lady
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Vivacious Lady
5 True Confession
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True Confession
6 Test Pilot
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Test Pilot
7 Jezebel
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Jezebel
8 Bringing Up Baby
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Bringing Up Baby
9 The Buccaneer
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The Buccaneer
10 A Yank at Oxford
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A Yank at Oxford
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
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 Baroness and the Butler
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The Baroness and the Butler
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
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
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Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
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
Madame X
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Madame X
May 31, 1938 Trivia
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The Story of May 31, 1938

On May 31, 1938, the nation was struck with tragedy as news surfaced about a child’s untimely death due to poison tablets, igniting debates about safety regulations and parental responsibility.

🧠 Inventions of 1938

Breakthroughs and everyday innovations from the year.

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

The biggest hits of the year — Top 10 Pop & Country chart toppers

HEADLINES ON May 31, 1938

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Win Clarkson Scholarships at Commencement. Impact: Winning a Clarkson Scholarship unknowingly set off a chain reaction where students felt they could actually afford to attend college, resulting in an entire generation believing higher education was a possibility, thus creating the student loan crisis.. Fact: Did you know that scholarships can sometimes be like unicorns? They sound magical until you realize they don't actually cover your ramen noodle budget?.
  • Headline: DANIEL VAIL. Impact: Daniel Vail’s name being in the headlines sparked an underground movement of people named Daniel who suddenly thought they were famous, leading to the first-ever 'Daniel Appreciation Day'.. Fact: Fun fact: If you throw a rock in a crowd, there's a 50% chance you’ll hit someone named Dan. That’s just science..
  • Headline: Poison Tablets Kill Child. Impact: The tragedy of a child’s death from poison tablets initiated a trend of parents becoming overly paranoid about what their kids were ingesting, leading to the invention of the 'Parenting GPS'—a device that tracks snacks.. Fact: According to studies, 9 out of 10 parents will panic at the sight of anything that resembles a pill, even if it's just an Advil..
  • Headline: 9 DROPPED BY WPA IN THEATRE INQUIRY; Circus Aides Suspended UntilShortages in Box Offices Are Cleared Up Circus Sponsors to Act Total Shortages Put at $1,000 9 DROPPED BY WPA IN THEATRE INQUIRY. Impact: The WPA dropping nine people from the theater inquiry led to a movement known as 'The Great Arts Discontent', where artists realized they could just perform in their living rooms for their cats, thus revolutionizing the concept of 'intimate performances'.. Fact: Did you know that box office shortages often mean someone misplaced the popcorn? But who cares, theater is overrated anyway..
  • Headline: WIRE IS CHIEF CLUE IN LEVINE SLAYING; Hunt for Kidnapper Redoubled Since Finding of Boy's Body-Funeral Service Held Wire Is Only Tangible Clue Organs to Be Examined WIRE IS CHIEF CLUE IN LEVINE SLAYING. Impact: The investigation into the Levine slaying acted like a spark that ignited a true-crime podcast revolution, leading to millions of armchair detectives with too much time and not enough skills.. Fact: Fun fact: The term 'true crime' was coined shortly after someone realized 'boring crime' just didn’t have the same ring to it..
  • Headline: PHYSICS CONFERENCE OPENED IN WARSAW; World Meeting on New Theories Hears Paper by Bohr. Impact: The Warsaw physics conference inadvertently inspired scientists to realize they could simply argue about theories over beer instead of in formal settings, leading to the 'Pub Science' movement.. Fact: Did you know that most groundbreaking theories in physics were probably conceived over a pint? Cheers to that!.
  • Headline: RARE BOOK AT PRINCETON; Ancient Arabian Medical Work Lent by Robert Garrett. Impact: The rare Arabic medical book lent to Princeton triggered a quest for knowledge that led to the establishment of 'Book Clubs for the Culturally Curious', where people argue about the meaning of life while sipping overpriced lattes.. Fact: Fun fact: Rare books are often so rare because they've been locked away from the unworthy—like the secrets of the universe or your best friend's Netflix password..

Wall Street Time Machine

The Right Call: If you'd invested $1,000 in any one of these companies in 1938, here's what it would be worth in 2025.
Rank #1
JNJ
Johnson & Johnson
Price in 1938
$0.06
Value in 2025
$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
Value in 2025
$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
Value in 2025
$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
Märklin Electric Trains
Märklin 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