MAY 2, 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
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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
Midnight
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Midnight
The Ice Follies of 1939
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The Ice Follies of 1939
The Hound of the Baskervilles
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The Hound of the Baskervilles
They Made Me a Criminal
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They Made Me a Criminal
The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle
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The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle
The Little Princess
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The Little Princess
Gunga Din
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Gunga Din
Love Affair
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Love Affair
The Three Musketeers
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The Three Musketeers
Dark Victory
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Dark Victory
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

May 2, 1939 Trivia

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Exact-date daily brief

May 2, 1939

On May 2, 1939, clashes erupted during a parade in Sofia, Bulgaria, as tensions mounted in Europe leading up to World War II. This unrest was reflective of the growing instability across the continent, where countries grappled wit...

Inventions & Breakthroughs of May 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 May 2, 1939

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Violence Disrupts Sofia's May Parade. Impact: The clashes at the parade led to a series of event cancellations across Europe, eventually causing the world's first 'no-fun' festival in 1945, where everyone was required to wear beige and sit in silence. Fact: Sofia is known for its rich history, but apparently, people still can't figure out how to celebrate without fighting.
  • Headline: Caribbean Becomes Army Department. Impact: Establishing the Caribbean as an Army Department resulted in the bizarre trend of military bases being turned into vacation resorts, where soldiers now serve piΓ±a coladas instead of combat. Fact: Puerto Rico's military history is as colorful as its beaches, but I suppose that’s what you get when you mix warfare with tourism.
  • Headline: RAILWAY EARNINGS. Impact: The railway earnings report inadvertently led to the creation of the world's first 'Trainspotters Anonymous' group, where members gather to discuss their emotional attachment to trains and share earnings reports. Fact: Railroads were once the backbone of the economy, but nowadays they just help people get to work on time... or not.
  • Headline: PENDERGAST AIDE VANISHES, A 'SUICIDE'; Prosecutor, Skeptical, Asks F.B.I. to Find Star Witness Against Missouri Boss. Impact: The mysterious vanishing of the aide sparked a wave of conspiracy theories, leading to the birth of the 'Schneider Did Not Kill Himself' movement decades later. Fact: When someone disappears under suspicious circumstances, it's always a good time for a conspiracy theory. Just ask the internet!.
  • Headline: ROYALTY TO OPEN DANISH PAVILION; Crown Prince Frederik and Princes Ingrid Will Join in Ceremony at 2:30 COUPLE TO REVIEW TROOPS Whalen Will Give Luncheon in Their Honor--Event to Be Broadcast to Nation. Impact: The opening of the Danish pavilion at the World’s Fair led to an unforeseen diplomatic incident involving an oversized pastry that accidentally attracted a swarm of hungry diplomats. Fact: Royalty reviewing troops sounds fancy, but let’s be realβ€”everyone’s just there for the free snacks.
  • Headline: OLAV AND MARTHA PUT IN A BUSY DAY; Crown Prince Opens Norway's Pavilion and Tours the Fair With Whalen as Guide SEES NO SIGNS OF PEACE Views Exposition as Means of Uniting the Nations in a Common Interest The First "Official" Visitors Square Fills With People Crown Prince Responds. Impact: Crown Prince Olaf's skepticism about peace inspired a long line of pessimistic leaders who believed that world peace was as attainable as finding a unicorn in your backyard. Fact: A crown prince who doubts eternal peace? Sounds like a royal mood, doesn’t it?.
  • Headline: Roper Is Nominated as Minister to Canada; Expected at Post to Greet King and Queen. Impact: Roper's nomination to Canada set off a trend of political appointments based on the ability to greet royalty, leading to a series of awkward encounters at future diplomatic events. Fact: Being named Minister to Canada is like being appointed as the official maple syrup taster; it sounds sweet, but the reality is just sticky.
  • Headline: $6,200,000 Spent by State To Make Fair a Success. Impact: The $6,200,000 spent on the fair inadvertently led to the creation of the most expensive lemonade stand in history, proving once and for all that money can’t buy happiness, just overpriced drinks. Fact: You know the fair's a success when you can spend millions to convince people to come look at exhibits instead of staying home and watching TV.

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