DECEMBER 16, 1938

FRIDAY
$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 December 16, 1938
1 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
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Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
2 After the Thin Man
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After the Thin Man
3 Heidi
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Heidi
4 The Good Earth
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The Good Earth
5 The Prisoner of Zenda
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The Prisoner of Zenda
6 Angels with Dirty Faces
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Angels with Dirty Faces
7 The Cowboy and the Lady
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The Cowboy and the Lady
8 Blondie
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Blondie
9 The Shining Hour
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The Shining Hour
10 You Can't Take It with You
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You Can't Take It with You
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
Test Pilot
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Test Pilot
The Adventures of Robin Hood
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The Adventures of Robin Hood
Boys Town
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Boys Town
Alexander's Ragtime Band
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Alexander's Ragtime Band
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
Marie Antoinette
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Marie Antoinette
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
Love Finds Andy Hardy
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Love Finds Andy Hardy
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 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
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
Nothing Sacred
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Nothing Sacred
The Hurricane
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The Hurricane
Conquest
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Conquest
True Confession
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True Confession
Madame X
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Madame X
December 16, 1938 Trivia
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The Story of December 16, 1938

On December 16, 1938, a significant political shake-up occurred as Secretary of State, William H.

🧠 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 β€” Top 10 Pop & Country chart toppers

HEADLINES ON December 16, 1938

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Flynn Resigns from Lehman's Cabinet. Impact: If Flynn had accepted reappointment, he might have single-handedly brokered peace in a parallel universe. Instead, his refusal led to a series of unfortunate cabinet meetings, where members debated the merits of biscuit recipes instead of serious political issues.. Fact: Fun fact: The word 'cabinet' originally referred to a small room where decisions were made, but over time it transformed into a larger space where people pretended to make decisions..
  • Headline: Leadership of Air Mission in Colombia. Impact: This appointment launched an unfortunate chain of events where air traffic controllers mistook Colombian coffee flights for military operations, leading to an international incident over the world's best cappuccino.. Fact: Did you know that the only thing flying higher than air missions in Colombia is the coffee consumption? No wonder they needed a head for it!.
  • Headline: Gregg Becomes Head of Irish Protestants. Impact: Gregg's election sparked a series of sectarian debates that eventually led to the invention of the world's first 'Irish Peace Comedy Show,' which, ironically, brought more people together than any actual peace treaty.. Fact: In case you were wondering, Irish Protestants have a long history of leading organizations, but the only organization they didn't found was the 'Let's Stop Arguing Club.'.
  • Headline: 7 KILLED IN MEXICAN FRAY; Effort to Collect Farm Union Dues Starts Veracruz Battle. Impact: The consequences of this tragic event rippled through time, leading to the formation of more organized labor movements, ultimately resulting in a world where union dues were more feared than the actual fray itself.. Fact: This incident highlights the harsh realities of labor disputes, which can sometimes be more deadly than running out of avocados at a guacamole party..
  • Headline: RUMANIA SETS UP 'FRONT'; ' National Renascence' Body Is Now Sole-Legal Political Group. Impact: The establishment of the National Renascence led to a series of poorly thought-out political decisions that paved the way for questionable fashion choices in Romanian politics, setting the stage for a future of mismatched suits and ties.. Fact: Ironically, 'National Renascence' sounds like it could be a trendy cafΓ© serving artisanal lattes and gluten-free pastries, but instead, it was just a political mess..
  • Headline: CHAMBERLAIN DARES NAZI ANGER AGAINN; Trade Drive Pressed Draws Line Between Reich's Rulers and People--Warns of British War Resources CHAMBERLAIN DARES NAZI ANGER AGAIN Of Interest to Dr. Schacht Some Doubts Expressed. Impact: Chamberlain's audacity inadvertently caused a ripple effect, leading to a series of diplomatic incidents that turned into a high-stakes game of 'who can annoy Hitler the most'β€”spoiler alert: everyone loses.. Fact: Chamberlain's bravery in the face of Nazi anger was almost as impressive as his ability to misjudge the situationβ€”it’s like bringing a spoon to a knife fight..
  • Headline: Gannett to Share '38 Profits. Impact: This decision set off a corporate trend where sharing profits became more popular than sharing memes, leading to a golden age of employee satisfactionβ€”until someone discovered the concept of 'profit-sharing' meant fewer donuts in the break room.. Fact: Did you know that profit-sharing plans are often more popular than actual profits? Because who doesn’t love a good bonus over cold hard cash?.

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
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