JANUARY 1, 1939

SUNDAY
1939 Coca-Cola advertising artwork
$1,000 INVESTED IN COKE STOCK (KO) IN 1939
WOULD HAVE MADE YOU $7,875,940 IN THE 2025 DATASET
Min Wage Hourly$0.30
Median Home Price$4,150.00
Gas Price Avg$0.18
Bread Price Avg$0.09
Movie Ticket Avg$0.30
First Class Stamp$0.03
Milk Price Avg$0.55
Top Movies From 1939
Show screen release and event cards
1 Gone with the Wind
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Gone with the Wind
2 Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
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Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
3 Jesse James
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Jesse James
4 Babes in Arms
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Babes in Arms
5 The Wizard of Oz
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The Wizard of Oz
6 Goodbye, Mr. Chips
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Goodbye, Mr. Chips
7 Dodge City
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Dodge City
8 The Rains Came
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The Rains Came
9 The Women
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The Women
10 Drums Along the Mohawk
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Drums Along the Mohawk
Angels with Dirty Faces
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Angels with Dirty Faces
A Christmas Carol
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A Christmas Carol
The Dawn Patrol
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The Dawn Patrol
Listen, Darling
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Listen, Darling
Kentucky
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Kentucky

January 1, 1939 Trivia

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Exact-date daily brief

January 1, 1939

On January 1, 1939, a cooperative agricultural experiment began in Missouri, aiming to transform sharecroppers into landowners under the guidance of the Farm Security Administration (FSA). This initiative sought to address economi...

Inventions & Breakthroughs of January 1939

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

1 Jet-Powered Aircraft
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Jet-Powered Aircraft
2 Helicopter Practical Design
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Helicopter Practical Design
3 Electronic Digital Computer Prototype
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Electronic Digital Computer Prototype
4 FM Radio Broadcasting Service
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FM Radio Broadcasting Service
5 Fluorescent Light Commercialization
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Fluorescent Light Commercialization
6 Color Film (Kodachrome Improvements)
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Color Film (Kodachrome Improvements)
7 Aircraft Radar System
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Aircraft Radar System
8 Remote Control Device
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Remote Control Device
9 Microwave Oven Concept
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Microwave Oven Concept
10 Automatic Fire Sprinkler Improvements
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Automatic Fire Sprinkler Improvements

The Sounds of

Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year

Headlines From January 1, 1939

Full News Archive

  • Headline: New York Chamber Music Group's Inaugural Concert. Impact: The harmonious sounds of chamber music inspired a future generation to form secret societies dedicated to playing string quartets in underground basements, leading to the rise of the notorious 'Cello Cult' in the 21st century. Fact: Did you know that chamber music was once considered the soundtrack to elite snooze-fests? So, if you need a cure for insomnia, just crank up some Haydn!.
  • Headline: Transforming Sharecroppers into Landowners. Impact: This farming experiment led to a secret agricultural society that taught crops to revolt against their farmers. The result? Plants plotting their takeover, known as the 'Great Tomato Uprising'. Fact: Fun fact: When plants revolt, they usually start with a strikeβ€”no watering, no sunlight. They take their rights very seriously!.
  • Headline: Native Growth in American Music. Impact: The composer’s insights triggered an accidental explosion of musical genres, resulting in a timeline where polka becomes the national anthem of multiple countries. Imagine parades of confused citizens doing the chicken dance!. Fact: Spoiler alert: The 'environment ripe for growth' was just a bunch of musicians hanging out in a coffee shop, sipping overpriced lattes and complaining about the lack of gigs.
  • Headline: C.I.O. Unit Backs WPA Reform. Impact: This reform sparked a movement where office workers began to demand nap breaks, leading to the establishment of the first 'Siesta Hour' in American workplaces. Productivity plummeted, but happiness soared!. Fact: The only reform people care about now is whether the coffee machine is stocked. Spoiler: It never is!.
  • Headline: WAGES-HOURS ACT FAVORED IN SURVEY; Institute of Public Opinion Finds 71% Support Aims to 29% in Opposition 56% OF EMPLOYERS FOR IT Dr. Gallup Asserts the Results Indicate Base for Industrial Peace in Coming Year. Impact: This act inadvertently set off a chain reaction where workers began demanding not just fair wages, but also free pizza Fridays, leading to corporate pizza budgets skyrocketing and crippling many businesses. Fact: Gallup polls have since evolved to include important questions like, 'Do you prefer pineapple on pizza?'β€”a true gauge of societal health.
  • Headline: Racing Paid 16 States $9,657,070 in 1938; $282,984,700 Wagered in U.S. Pari-Mutuels; RACING PAID STATES $9,657,070 IN 1938. Impact: This massive influx of cash led to states developing a secret fund called 'Horseshoe Bank', which mysteriously disappeared every time a horse race was about to start. Coincidence? I think not!. Fact: In 1938, betting on horses was considered a noble pursuit. Now, it's just an excuse for people to scream at their TVs while clutching a lucky rabbit's foot.
  • Headline: RUNWAYS OF COTTON; Four Government Bureaus Testing Material as Airport Surface. Impact: The decision to test cotton for runways led to a bizarre future where planes began to land on fluffy clouds of cotton candy, causing severe turbulence as passengers struggled to maintain their sugar highs. Fact: If cotton runways had caught on, we might have had a whole new generation of pilots trained in the art of 'sugar landings'β€”talk about sweet landings!.
  • Headline: Fire Traps 20 Men in Indiana Coal Mine; Two of First Eight Rescued Are Dead. Impact: This tragedy led to significant advancements in coal mine safety, which ultimately resulted in the establishment of a bizarre annual event where miners reenact their rescue with interpretive dance. It’s as chaotic as it sounds. Fact: Coal mining has historically been one of the most dangerous jobs, but it has also birthed some of the most inspiring tales of heroismβ€”like the time a miner saved a cat and became a local legend!.
  • Headline: LISTENERS PLAY WITH TOSCANINI; Musicians Who Eavesdrop Follow His Beat. Impact: The rise of amateur musicians eavesdropping on Toscanini's broadcasts led to an underground movement where people began to synchronize their home appliances to classical music, giving birth to the first-ever 'Symphonic Dishwashing'. Fact: Listening to classical music while doing chores is scientifically proven to make them 200% more bearableβ€”unless you’re trying to vacuum to Wagner, then all bets are off!.

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 1939
$0.06
Stored value
$3,433,942

Johnson & Johnson - If you invested $1,000 in 1939, it would be worth $3,433,942 today (3433.9x return)

Rank #2
PG
Procter & Gamble
Price in 1939
$0.25
Stored value
$586,657

Procter & Gamble - If you invested $1,000 in 1939, it would be worth $586,657 today (586.7x return)

Rank #3
CVX
Chevron
Price in 1939
$0.31
Stored value
$474,913

Chevron - If you invested $1,000 in 1939, it would be worth $474,913 today (474.9x return)

🦸 Top 5 Comics
Action Comics #10
Action Comics #10
$1,100
Detective Comics #27
Detective Comics #27
$3,000,000
Marvel Comics #1
Marvel Comics #1
$200,000
All-American Comics #1
All-American Comics #1
$150,000
Adventure Comics #40
Adventure Comics #40
$3,000
🧸 Top 5 Toys
View-Master
View-Master
$40.00
Little Golden Books
Little Golden Books
$300.00
The Game of Cootie
The Game of Cootie
$50.00
Tinkertoy Joy Boy and Joy Girl Sets
Tinkertoy Joy Boy and Joy Girl Sets
$150.00
Buck Rogers Atomic Pistol
Buck Rogers Atomic Pistol
$1,200.00
⚾ Notable Trading Cards
W.D. & H.O. Wills 'Life in the Tree Tops'
W.D. & H.O. Wills 'Life in the Tree Tops'
$236.61
Churchman's 'Treasure Trove'
Churchman's 'Treasure Trove'
$492,000
Cadet Suite Collection 'World Wonders'
Cadet Suite Collection 'World Wonders'
$0
Players Cigarettes 'Cycling 1939'
Players Cigarettes 'Cycling 1939'
$10.00