DECEMBER 13, 1938

TUESDAY
$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
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
Angels with Dirty Faces
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Angels with Dirty Faces
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
Three Comrades
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Three Comrades
Holiday
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Holiday
Carefree
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Carefree
Algiers
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Algiers
Room Service
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Room Service
Vivacious Lady
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Vivacious Lady
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
Four Daughters
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Four Daughters
If I Were King
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If I Were King
That Certain Age
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That Certain Age
The Shining Hour
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The Shining Hour
The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse
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The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse
Having Wonderful Time
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Having Wonderful Time
The Shopworn Angel
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The Shopworn Angel
The Baroness and the Butler
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The Baroness and the Butler
Block-Heads
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Block-Heads
A Yank at Oxford
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A Yank at Oxford
Too Hot to Handle
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Too Hot to Handle
Blondie
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Blondie
The Sisters
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The Sisters
The Spider's Web
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The Spider's Web
The Young in Heart
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The Young in Heart
Listen, Darling
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Listen, Darling
The Cowboy and the Lady
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The Cowboy and the Lady
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
December 13, 1938 Trivia
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The Story of December 13, 1938

On December 13, 1938, over 1,000 individuals gathered to hear First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt speak at a rally where she emphasized the importance of democratic values and the role of individual contribution to the success of democracy.

Inventions & Breakthroughs of December 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 ON December 13, 1938

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Mrs. Roosevelt's Call for Democratic Unity. Impact: Mrs. Roosevelt's call for collective action inspired the creation of neighborhood potlucks in the '50s, which led to the eventual rise of community Facebook groups β€” the true downfall of humanity.. Fact: Mrs. Roosevelt was so ahead of her time that if she were alive today, she'd probably be hosting a podcast on how to save democracy while making avocado toast..
  • Headline: Proposed Investor Curb at Lima Conference. Impact: This diplomatic squabble over ship immunity eventually contributed to the rise of maritime insurance companies, which led to one guy in 2023 named Dave making a fortune selling 'insurance' for imaginary ships.. Fact: Isn't it funny how diplomats can debate ship immunity while people can't even agree on whether pineapple belongs on pizza?.
  • Headline: Emanu-El Elects New Officers. Impact: The election of L. L. Straus marked the beginning of the trend where every organization needed a president, resulting in an explosion of titles like 'Chief Happiness Officer' in modern-day offices.. Fact: L. L. Straus probably had the same level of enthusiasm for his new role as people have for Monday mornings..
  • Headline: PLEADS GUILTY IN SLAYING; Convict to Be Sentenced for Manslaughter in. Hold-Up. Impact: This tragic plea led to tougher laws on robbery, which in turn inspired countless crime dramas where the bad guy always gets caught β€” except for that one guy who's still living in his mom's basement.. Fact: Manslaughter cases remind us that crime doesn't pay, but it sure does make for some riveting courtroom dramas..
  • Headline: Accepts Guild Contract. Impact: The acceptance of this guild contract laid the groundwork for unions everywhere, turning 'I need a raise' into a global battle cry that still echoes through office cubicles.. Fact: Accepting a contract is just like accepting a friend requestβ€”some things are better left ignored..
  • Headline: ARGENTINE FAVORS CONSULTATION IDEA; Foreign Minister Holds Time to Confer Is When Some Actual Threat Arises DOUBTS ' NAPOLEONIC ERA' Cantilo's Views Are Set Forth by Radio Representative on Basis of Interview. Impact: Cantilo's preference for consultations caused a ripple effect, leading to an overwhelming number of international meetings where everyone just nods in agreement while secretly checking their phones.. Fact: Consultation is just a fancy way of saying, 'Let's talk about this until we forget what we were talking about.'.
  • Headline: WOLL STATES AIMS OF RIGHTS LEAGUE; Would Defend Democracy of World Against Communism, Fascism, Nazism UNITY OF AMERICA ASKED Appeal to Safeguard Freedom From Autocracy Is Issued by A. F. of L. Executive. Impact: Woll’s declaration inadvertently set off a series of political movements that eventually led to the creation of 'Freedom Fries'β€”proving that even the most serious matters can be trivialized.. Fact: Defending democracy is a noble cause, unless you're doing it on Twitter, where it turns into a meme war..
  • Headline: TRUCK TIE-UP ENDS IN PAY COMPROMISE; State Mediators Win Accord After Demand by Mayor for Quick Settlement UNION VOTES ACCEPTANCE Platform Men and Checkers in Long-Distance Trade to Get Higher Wage. Impact: The truck tie-up and subsequent settlement led to a chain reaction of labor negotiations, which eventually paved the way for the modern-day office worker to demand snacks during meetings.. Fact: Who knew that all it took to resolve a truck strike was a mayor and some snacks? Instant diplomacy!.

Wall Street Time Machine

The Right Call: If you'd invested $1,000 in any one of these companies in 1938, here's what the stored 2025 dataset estimates.
Rank #1
JNJ
Johnson & Johnson
Price in 1938
$0.06
2025 dataset 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
2025 dataset 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
2025 dataset 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