JULY 21, 1939

FRIDAY
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
Union Pacific
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Union Pacific
Gunga Din
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Gunga Din
Only Angels Have Wings
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Only Angels Have Wings
Young Mr. Lincoln
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Young Mr. Lincoln
Confessions of a Nazi Spy
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Confessions of a Nazi Spy
Love Affair
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Love Affair
The Man in the Iron Mask
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The Man in the Iron Mask
Five Came Back
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Five Came Back
Bachelor Mother
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Bachelor Mother
The Three Musketeers
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The Three Musketeers
Dark Victory
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Dark Victory
On Borrowed Time
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On Borrowed Time
Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation
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Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation
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

July 21, 1939 Trivia

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Exact-date daily brief

July 21, 1939

On July 21, 1939, London's theatre scene was abuzz with the opening of Dorothy Sayers's play 'The Devil to Pay', which reimagines the classic Faust legend. The play received a warm reception, reflecting the growing public interest...

Inventions & Breakthroughs of July 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 July 21, 1939

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Dorothy Sayers's Play Wins London Audience. Impact: The success of this play inspired a long line of Faustian bargains in theatre, leading to the rise of playwrights who sold their souls for a good review, which is basically every playwright ever. Fact: Fun fact: 'Devil to Pay' is not just a title, it's also a summary of many people's financial situations post-opening night!.
  • Headline: Cleveland Jockey Club Reorganization. Impact: This reorganization led to a series of reforms that inadvertently inspired a new generation of horse racing enthusiasts who think wearing fancy hats can somehow improve their betting odds. It didn't. Fact: Did you know that reorganizing a racing body is about as effective as reorganizing your sock drawer? Both will lead to chaos!.
  • Headline: INCURABLE VICTIM FETED; Friends Give a Dinner for Man Doomed by Fatal Illness. Impact: This act of kindness sparked a movement to celebrate life instead of mourning death, which ultimately led to the invention of the 'celebration of life' party - complete with awkward speeches and bad cake. Fact: Did you know that a dinner for someone doomed by illness often has more emotional weight than a typical family reunion? No pressure!.
  • Headline: Seeks to Rename Isle for Queen. Impact: The renaming of the island inadvertently led to a global trend of renaming landmarks after royalty, resulting in tourists wandering around lost, looking for 'Queen's Landing' in every city. Fact: Did you know that naming islands after royalty is a time-honored tradition? Just ask the other 7,000 islands in the world that are also named after various queens!.
  • Headline: FAIR POLICE CAPTAIN QUITS; Action is in Protest Against Dropping of 50 Under Him. Impact: This resignation set off a domino effect, leading to a series of 'protests' in various workplaces, where people realized quitting was a more effective way to make a statement than simply complaining at the water cooler. Fact: Did you know that quitting in protest is a great way to ensure you don’t get a recommendation for your next job? Just ask this guy!.
  • Headline: Evidence of Plant Life on the Planet Mars Is Announced by an American Astronomer. Impact: This announcement sparked an interplanetary obsession with Mars, leading to an influx of sci-fi movies, conspiracy theories, and those weird people who insist they've been abducted by Martians. Thanks a lot, E C Slipher. Fact: Did you know that the discovery of plant life on Mars led to more questions than answers? Because who wouldn't want to know if aliens prefer broccoli over spinach?.
  • Headline: ACTS ON SCHOOL POSTS; Teachers Alliance Asks Mayor for 'Untrammeled' Board. Impact: This plea for an untrammeled board led to a series of educational reforms that resulted in more paperwork, meetings, and the existential dread of teachers everywhere. Fact: Did you know that asking for an 'untrammeled' board is just a fancy way of saying, 'We want to make decisions without the annoying oversight of reality'?.
  • Headline: 1 Dies, 1 Hurt as Scaffold Falls. Impact: This tragic event highlighted the need for better safety regulations, which eventually led to stricter laws that ironically resulted in a massive boom in the 'safety equipment' industry, because who doesn't love a good helmet?. Fact: It’s a grim reminder that construction is not just about building; it’s also about surviving the process.

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