MARCH 12, 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
Son of Frankenstein
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Son of Frankenstein
Made for Each Other
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Made for Each Other
Idiot's Delight
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Idiot's Delight
The Oklahoma Kid
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The Oklahoma Kid
Stagecoach
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Stagecoach
The Ice Follies of 1939
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The Ice Follies of 1939
They Made Me a Criminal
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They Made Me a Criminal
Gunga Din
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Gunga Din
The Three Musketeers
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The Three Musketeers
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
Five Came Back
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Five Came Back
Listen, Darling
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Listen, Darling
Kentucky
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Kentucky

March 12, 1939 Trivia

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Exact-date daily brief

March 12, 1939

On March 12, 1939, the literary landscape was marked by the emergence of midget form books, a trend that encapsulated the evolving nature of publishing. As the world teetered on the brink of World War II, with the geopolitical ten...

Inventions & Breakthroughs of March 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 March 12, 1939

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Spring Publishing Highlights of 1939. Impact: The Spring pub lists inspired countless future authors to publish their own works. Fast forward a few decades, and suddenly, everyone thinks they can write a bestseller after sipping overpriced lattes in pretentious cafes. Fact: Did you know that the phrase 'publish or perish' was originally coined to describe a particularly aggressive tulip auction?.
  • Headline: Discover Midget Annuals from 1939. Impact: The annuals in midget form set the stage for miniaturization that would eventually lead to the rise of tiny houses. Now everyone thinks living in a shoebox is a trendy lifestyle choice. Fact: Fun fact: Midget annuals are more popular among gnomes than humans. Who knew they had such discerning taste?.
  • Headline: Celebrating Industrial Achievements in 1939. Impact: Morris M. Lee's report on industry made annual reports a thing, which led to the birth of PowerPoint presentations. Ah, yes, nothing says 'innovation' quite like bullet points on a slide. Fact: Did you know that annual reports were once read aloud to livestock to improve their productivity? True story!.
  • Headline: A SOPRANO RETURNS TO STAGE. Impact: This soprano's return to the stage sparked a wave of nostalgia that made people forget about reality TV for a whole three minutes. It was short-lived but beautiful. Fact: Sopranos are known for hitting notes that can shatter glass—perfect for any home renovation project!.
  • Headline: ELLSWORTH B. BELDEN; Wisconsin Circuit Judge Had Naturalized 10,000 Aliens. Impact: Ellsworth B. Belden's naturalization of 10,000 aliens led to the creation of a secret society of well-adjusted immigrants who eventually took over the world—one potluck at a time. Fact: Did you know that being naturalized can also make you immune to bad puns? Just kidding, the puns are still relentless.
  • Headline: TARGETS OF THE ENGINEERS; 'Finger' Signal Reaching Out From Broadcasting Centers May Turn On Robot Radio-Television Sets in the Home. Impact: The 'finger' signal concept was so revolutionary that it eventually led to the invention of the finger gun, which has been a staple in every action movie ever since. Fact: Fun fact: Engineers originally designed the 'finger' signal to distract colleagues during meetings, but it backfired spectacularly.
  • Headline: Nicaragua Fliers Called Potential U.S. Fighters. Impact: The idea of Nicaragua fliers being potential U.S. fighters kickstarted a wave of 'adventurous' vacations that led to the rise of 'extreme' travel bloggers in the 21st century. Fact: Did you know that being a travel blogger was once considered a legitimate profession, just like being a medieval jester?.
  • Headline: THEY STILL SING IN WAR-TORN CHINA; IN WAR-TORN CHINA. Impact: War-torn China singing became a symbol of resilience that influenced future artists to write sad songs about their exes instead of real issues. Thanks for the inspiration!. Fact: Fun fact: In war-torn areas, singing was believed to summon rain. So next time it rains, maybe your neighbor is just really sad.

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