JANUARY 26, 1939

THURSDAY
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
Son of Frankenstein
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Son of Frankenstein
They Made Me a Criminal
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They Made Me a Criminal
Gunga Din
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Gunga Din
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 26, 1939 Trivia

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Exact-date daily brief

January 26, 1939

On January 26, 1939, a significant court case in Brooklyn was rendered a mistrial due to the late arrival of a woman juror, marking a notable event in judicial history as it was the first case of its kind in the state. The juror c...

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 26, 1939

Full News Archive

  • Headline: First Woman Juror Causes Mistrial. Impact: The juror's chronic tardiness led to a nationwide movement for punctuality training for jurors. This eventually evolved into a popular reality show called 'Jurors in Time', where contestants race against the clock to not be late. Spoiler alert: they all lose!. Fact: In 2023, juror lateness is still a problem, leading to the invention of 'Juror GPS' that tracks your location and gives you guilt trips for being late.
  • Headline: Weiss Tax Case Settlement Reached. Impact: The amicable settlement led to a secret society of tax evaders forming in New Orleans, which laid the groundwork for the modern-day underground economy. Thanks, Weiss, for inspiring future generations of tax dodgers!. Fact: The phrase 'amicable' is derived from the Latin 'amicabilis', meaning 'getting away with it without a fight'.
  • Headline: President Attends Cavalry Horse Show Benefit. Impact: This horse show was the catalyst for the rise of equestrian influencers on social media. Had the president not attended, we might never have been subjected to endless videos of horses prancing around wearing sunglasses. Fact: The first horse influencer, Sir Neighs-a-lot, was born shortly after this event, changing the world of animal fame forever.
  • Headline: ROCKEFELLER IS HONORED; Conservation Award Is Given Him by Bay State Group. Impact: Rockefeller's conservation award sparked a fierce competition among billionaires, resulting in the now infamous 'Billionaire Nature Showdown', where they try to outdo each other in tree-planting and wildlife-saving antics. Spoiler: no one wins. Fact: The award ceremony was almost canceled because someone mistook it for a 'Billionaire Bake Sale' and brought cupcakes instead.
  • Headline: EAST SIDE REZONING HAILED IN DISTRICT; Chamber of Commerce of Area Expects City's Approval to Assist Rehabilitation REVENUE DECLINE CITED Action Follows 8-Year Drive to Impose Restrictions and Check Trend to Idle Land. Impact: The East Side rezoning was so successful that it led to a nationwide trend of zoning laws based on how many hipster coffee shops could fit in a block. Now every city has a 'brewery district' that no one actually visits. Fact: The East Side Chamber of Commerce is still waiting for the city to approve their request for a 'No More Chains' zoning law, which, ironically, is a chain restaurant.
  • Headline: MURPHY SEES GRAND JURY; Attorney General Talks Over McKesson Case Here. Impact: Murphy's discussion with the grand jury led to the introduction of a new law that requires all lawyers to hold 'talking to yourself' sessions, thus creating the first-ever profession where being insane is considered a bonus. Fact: Grand juries originally started as a way for people to air their grievances about bad sandwiches; now they handle much more serious matters.
  • Headline: Meade Rides Three More Winners and Arcaro Pilots Two at Hialeah Park; ARMOR BEARER, 4-1 TRIUMPHS IN SPRINT Three Finish Noses Apart at Miami, With Dunade Second and Milk Punch Third $457,013 IS BET AT TRACK Handle Sets Week-Day Record -Jock's Betsy, Feng, Green Melon Win for Meade. Impact: Meade's racing victories inspired a new generation of betting enthusiasts, leading to 'Betting for Dummies' becoming a bestseller. Today, the average American knows more about horse stats than their own family history. Fact: The $457,013 bet was actually placed by someone trying to impress their date. It didn’t work out, but the horse did win!.
  • Headline: Insurgents Bomb Spanish Port While Americans Are Leaving; Missiles Drop Close to Boat Carrying Caldetas Refugees to Cruiser Omaha--French Warship Returns Fire. Impact: The bombing of the Spanish port led to the creation of a new geopolitical strategy: 'Leave Before It Gets Bad'. This strategy has been praised and criticized for its effectiveness ever since. Fact: The Americans fleeing were actually just there for the paella and didn't realize it would get so explosive.
  • Headline: QUAKE RUINS 20 CHILE TOWNS; CONCEPCION CITY WIPED OUT; LOSS OF LIFE IN THOUSANDS; CHILLAN IS RAZED Only Three Buildings Are Reported Standing in 144 Blocks There INJURED STILL ENTOMBED Relief Is Rushed Southward, but Railway Damage Delays Doctors and Officials. Impact: The devastating Chilean earthquake led to a dramatic increase in global earthquake preparedness campaigns. Ironically, people began stockpiling non-perishable foods that they never actually eat. Fact: The earthquake was so powerful that it was initially mistaken for a giant blender malfunctioning in a nearby kitchen.
  • Headline: MURPHY WEIGHING CIVIL LIBERTY UNIT; Reports He Hopes to Set Up a Special Bureau to Guard Rights of Citizens STUDY OF SHARECROPPERS Aides Looking Into Situation, He Says Here--Survey in Jersey City 'Routine'. Impact: Murphy's idea for a Civil Liberty unit inspired a wave of bureaucratic expansion, leading to the establishment of more offices than there are citizens. Now we have a department for everything, including 'Department of Unnecessary Red Tape'. Fact: The study of sharecroppers was initially a cover for Murphy's obsession with gardening; he just wanted to learn how to grow better tomatoes.

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