FEBRUARY 21, 1939

TUESDAY
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
Learn More
Gone with the Wind
2 Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Learn More
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
3 Jesse James
Learn More
Jesse James
4 Babes in Arms
Learn More
Babes in Arms
5 The Wizard of Oz
Learn More
The Wizard of Oz
6 Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Learn More
Goodbye, Mr. Chips
7 Dodge City
Learn More
Dodge City
8 The Rains Came
Learn More
The Rains Came
9 The Women
Learn More
The Women
10 Drums Along the Mohawk
Learn More
Drums Along the Mohawk
Son of Frankenstein
Learn More
Son of Frankenstein
Made for Each Other
Learn More
Made for Each Other
Idiot's Delight
Learn More
Idiot's Delight
They Made Me a Criminal
Learn More
They Made Me a Criminal
Gunga Din
Learn More
Gunga Din
The Three Musketeers
Learn More
The Three Musketeers
Angels with Dirty Faces
Learn More
Angels with Dirty Faces
A Christmas Carol
Learn More
A Christmas Carol
The Dawn Patrol
Learn More
The Dawn Patrol
Five Came Back
Learn More
Five Came Back
Listen, Darling
Learn More
Listen, Darling
Kentucky
Learn More
Kentucky

February 21, 1939 Trivia

Multiple choice - Sign in to save + leaderboard - View all-time leaderboard
Score: 0 / 0
All-time leaderboard
Your results

Exact-date daily brief

February 21, 1939

On February 21, 1939, the headlines were dominated by both triumph and intrigue. The nation buzzed with news surrounding the French plane affair, which had captivated public attention due to its behind-the-scenes elements. In Puer...

Inventions & Breakthroughs of February 1939

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

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

The Sounds of

Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year

Headlines From February 21, 1939

Full News Archive

  • Headline: French Plane Affair Insights. Impact: The French Plane Affair led to the establishment of a secret society of plane enthusiasts who believed they could change the course of aviation history by hosting clandestine flying lessons in basements. This eventually resulted in the invention of the first indoor skydiving facility, which was a total game changer for bad weather days. Fact: The only people more paranoid than plane enthusiasts are the ones who think they can fly without an airplane.
  • Headline: Salvage of Sunken Plane in Puerto Rico. Impact: Raising the sunken plane sparked a trend in treasure hunting that eventually led to the popular 'Duck Dynasty' spin-off where they search for lost packages from sunken planes, proving that nothing really gets lost in the age of reality TV. Fact: Sometimes the most valuable cargo isn't the mail, but the bizarre items people forget on planes. Ever heard of a rubber chicken?.
  • Headline: FAIR EXPECTS KING AND QUEEN JUNE 10; British Monarchs' Arrival Will Follow Their 3-Day Visit With the Roosevelts TO REACH AMERICA MAY 15 Landing at Quebec, Royal Couple Will Go Across Canada --Their Itinerary Disclosed. Impact: The royal visit inadvertently triggered a series of questionable fashion trends in Canada, including the infamous 'Crown Jewel' hats that looked like they were crafted from leftover Christmas ornaments. Thus began the historical reign of the 'Royal Bling'. Fact: Royal visits are basically just celebrity meet-and-greets, except with a lot more pomp and circumstance and far fewer selfies.
  • Headline: PHILADELPHIA PAYS 2 QUAKERS HONORS; QUAKERS WHO WILL SHARE THE BOK AWARD. Impact: Honoring these Quakers set off a chain reaction that inspired a new generation of pacifist superheroes in comic books, proving that sometimes the most powerful weapon is a plate of cookies and a heartfelt conversation. Fact: Quakers are known for their peacekeeping ways, but they also make a mean oatmeal cookie!.
  • Headline: MUSEUM GETS 2 SNAKES; Live Tropical Viper and Rolling Boa Are Placed on View. Impact: The addition of these snakes led to an increase in snake-related incidents in the area, including the infamous 'Snake Dance' craze of the late '80s, where people believed they could become one with the reptiles. Spoiler alert: they couldn't. Fact: A rolling boa sounds like a yoga pose, but it's really just a snake that can't decide whether to chill or roll away.
  • Headline: OXFORD GROUP FACES OPPOSITION ON NAME; The University's Representative Blocks Buchman Petition. Impact: This petty name dispute sparked a trend of overly complicated group names in university clubs, leading to the founding of the 'Society for the Advancement of Mysterious Acronyms'Ò€”because why use a simple name when you can confuse everyone?. Fact: The only thing more confusing than a disagreement over a group name is trying to remember all the acronyms for university organizations.
  • Headline: ROOSEVELT ENTERS ZONE OF WAR GAME; He Visits Guantanamo Bay, One of Bases, as Fleet Manoeuvres Start. Impact: Roosevelt's war game visit turned into a diplomatic strategy that ultimately inspired the creation of the first reality show about military strategy, complete with dramatic music and surprise eliminations. Fact: War games are just like board games, except with higher stakes and fewer chances of going bankrupt over Monopoly.

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