MAY 3, 1939

WEDNESDAY
$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
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 3, 1939 Trivia
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The Story of May 3, 1939

On May 3, 1939, the United States Fleet hosted a grand dinner and ball in honor of Admiral William D.

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 ON May 3, 1939

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Admiral Honored at Hudson Dinner and Ball. Impact: The lavish dinner for Admiral Whalen led to an unexpected uptick in the U.S. Navy’s popularity, resulting in a bizarre future where naval officers became the most sought-after dinner guests. This culminated in a reality show called 'Sailor's Feast', where contestants had to impress admirals while juggling lobsters.. Fact: Did you know that dining with admirals was once considered a prestigious event? Nowadays, it’s more about who can eat the most chicken wings in one sitting!.
  • Headline: Marshall's Diplomatic Visit to Brazil. Impact: General Marshall's visit to Brazil, sparked by an invitation from Hitler, inadvertently led to a series of diplomatic faux pas, eventually resulting in Brazil becoming the go-to destination for awkward international meetings, where leaders would discuss important matters over caipirinhas.. Fact: Fun fact: Hitler's invitation was the worst thing to happen to Brazil since the invention of the samba. Talk about a party crasher!.
  • Headline: Senate Votes on Fair Powers Bill. Impact: The Senate's vote to limit Moses’s Fair Powers eventually led to a grassroots movement to elect a new fair overseer, who later became a meme sensation for their outlandish policies, like mandatory glitter at all public events.. Fact: It's fascinating how a simple bill can change the trajectory of a fair. Who knew politics could lead to so much glitter?.
  • Headline: BENEFIT LUNCHEON HELD; 1,000 of Auxiliary of Hebrew Home Attend Fair Event. Impact: The benefit luncheon for the Hebrew Home not only raised funds but also sparked a nationwide trend of charity events where the more extravagant the theme, the more money was raised—leading to the infamous 'Black Tie and Baked Beans' gala.. Fact: You know it's a good charity event when the food is better than what you get at a five-star restaurant. But let’s be real, no one actually eats the food at these things!.
  • Headline: BACK NEUTRALITY CHANGE; Women at Forum Here Would Let Aggressor Be Named. Impact: The women at the forum advocating for naming aggressors sparked a future where every time an argument broke out, blame was immediately assigned with no context—paving the way for social media fights to devolve into chaos of epic proportions.. Fact: Who needs names when you have hashtags? #AggressorNamingConvention was trending before it was even a thing!.
  • Headline: 3 ARE FOUND GUILTY IN PASSPORT FRAUD; Each Faces 2 Years in Prison and $10,000 Fine--Mystery Over Spy Unsolved. Impact: The passport fraud case led to stricter regulations that resulted in a future where getting a passport became as complicated as launching a rocket. This inadvertently fueled a black market for passport photos featuring cats instead of people!. Fact: Did you know that in some countries, you can get a passport photo taken with a cat? Just kidding—unless that country is a cat-lover's paradise!.
  • Headline: JAPANESE BOMB FOOCHOW; Ports of Wenchow and Ningpo Also Attacked by Fliers. Impact: The bombing of Foochow catalyzed a series of international tensions that led to an unexpected global trend where cities began hosting 'bombing memorials' to increase tourism, creating a bizarre market for souvenir shrapnel.. Fact: War may be hell, but at least it brought us some interesting tourism concepts! Who wouldn’t want a piece of history—literally?.
  • Headline: Iran's Press Assails Oil Company. Impact: Iran's press attacking the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company led to an unprecedented wave of anti-corporate sentiment, which eventually resulted in the modern-day protest slogan ‘No Oil, No Problems’—ironically leading to a world reliant on avocado toast.. Fact: Did you know that the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company is now just a footnote in history, overshadowed by the rise of overpriced brunches? Who knew avocados would be the real winners?.
  • Headline: BABIES WIN SILVER SPOONS; One of Two Victors at Health Show Gets Perfect Rating. Impact: The unfriendly press towards Poland led to a chain reaction of media bias that influenced future journalists to take sides in conflicts, drastically changing the landscape of news reporting into a reality TV-style competition for the 'Best Narrative'.. Fact: It’s true that news used to be unbiased! Now, it’s more about who can spin the story into a thrilling cliffhanger. Tune in tomorrow for more drama!.
  • Headline: Press Unfriendly to Poland.

Wall Street Time Machine

The Right Call: If you'd invested $1,000 in any one of these companies in 1939, here's what the stored 2025 dataset estimates.
Rank #1
JNJ
Johnson & Johnson
Price in 1939
$0.06
2025 dataset 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
2025 dataset 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
2025 dataset 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