AUGUST 18, 1939

FRIDAY
$1,000 INVESTED IN COKE STOCK (KO) IN 1939
WOULD HAVE MADE YOU $7,875,940 IN 2025
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 By August 18, 1939
1 The Wizard of Oz
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The Wizard of Oz
2 The Old Maid
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The Old Maid
3 In Name Only
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In Name Only
4 When Tomorrow Comes
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When Tomorrow Comes
5 Goodbye, Mr. Chips
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Goodbye, Mr. Chips
6 Beau Geste
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Beau Geste
7 The Man in the Iron Mask
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The Man in the Iron Mask
8 Bachelor Mother
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Bachelor Mother
9 You Can't Take It with You
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You Can't Take It with You
10 Alexander's Ragtime Band
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Alexander's Ragtime Band
Son of Frankenstein
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Son of Frankenstein
Jesse James
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Jesse James
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
Five Came Back
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Five Came Back
Dodge City
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Dodge City
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
August 18, 1939 Trivia
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The Story of August 18, 1939

On August 18, 1939, Britain officially dismissed the possibility of a four-power conference aimed at easing tensions in Europe, calling the idea mere propaganda in a 'war of nerves' amid the escalating crisis concerning Poland.

🧠 Inventions of 1939

Breakthroughs and everyday innovations from the year.

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

The biggest hits of the year β€” Top 10 Pop & Country chart toppers

HEADLINES ON August 18, 1939

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Britain Dismisses 4-Power Conference Proposal. Impact: By dismissing the peace talks, Britain inadvertently set the stage for a chain reaction of events leading to WWII. Who knew 'no comment' could have such catastrophic implications?. Fact: Fun fact: War of Nerves sounds like a psychological thriller, but in reality, it just meant a lot of anxious leaders twiddling their thumbs while the world spiraled into chaos..
  • Headline: BUSINESS RECORDS. Impact: The mysterious nature of 'Business Records' remains a riddle wrapped in an enigma, which ultimately led to the creation of more businesses, more taxes, and an entire genre of boring meetings.. Fact: Every time you hear 'business records,' somewhere a corporate lawyer just got a bonus for making something incredibly mundane sound vaguely important..
  • Headline: ARAS J. WILLIAMS, 69, UTICA MANUFACTURER; Former Head of City Planning Commission Is Dead. Impact: His passing may have left a gap in city planning that altered the trajectory of urban development in Utica, potentially leading to the construction of that one bizarre roundabout everyone hates.. Fact: Aras J. Williams was about as popular as a city planner could get, which is like being the most interesting person at a tax seminar..
  • Headline: ISSUE HELD GRAVE; Press Intensifies Tales of an Anti-German Terror in Poland REPORTS 1,000 ARRESTED Hungarian War Cooperation Believed Paanned as Csaky Is Received by Hitler Checks With Warsaw Reports Significance of Charges BRITAIN RULES OUT A 4-POWER PARLEY Press Notes the Parallel. Impact: This situation not only fueled tensions but also paved the way for future political dramas that would redefine international relations. Just think of it as a really bad episode of a soap opera that never ended.. Fact: Did you know that political tensions often lead to more interesting plots than most TV shows? If only the press had a decent scriptwriter!.
  • Headline: METAL MACHINE SALES UP; Exports for First Half Reached New Hiqh at $55,685,450 Chicago Trolley Traffic Up. Impact: The increase in metal machinery sales likely contributed to the industrial boom, which then helped fuel the great American obsession with everything shiny and newβ€”eventually leading to a nationwide addiction to consumerism.. Fact: Metal machines might be the unsung heroes of the industrial age, quietly making more noise than a toddler with a drum set!.
  • Headline: CONFISCATED WEAPONS DUMPED INTO SOUND; 4,000 Pistols, Guns, Knives and 284,000 Slugs Sunk by Police. Impact: This dramatic act of weapon dumping could be seen as a precursor to modern recycling effortsβ€”imagine if they had turned those weapons into art instead!. Fact: Dumping weapons into the water is one way to ensure they won't end up in the wrong hands. But I bet the fish had a lot to say about the sudden influx of 'metallic' neighbors!.
  • Headline: City School Budget Illegal, Court Rules in Second Suit; Justice Bernstein Holds Affirmative Vote of Quorum Necessary for Adoption-- Evening Classes Mandatory CITY SCHOOL BUDGET IS HELD ILLEGAL Two Actions Possible Other Actions Illegal Teachers' Suit Faced. Impact: The illegal school budget debacle likely sparked a series of legal battles that would create a generation of lawyers specializing in education law, proving once again that where there’s confusion, there’s a career opportunity.. Fact: Isn't it fascinating how school budgets can be more contentious than a family Thanksgiving dinner? Everyone has an opinion, and nobody leaves happy!.

Wall Street Time Machine

The Right Call: If you'd invested $1,000 in any one of these companies in 1939, here's what it would be worth in 2025.
Rank #1
JNJ
Johnson & Johnson
Price in 1939
$0.06
Value in 2025
$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
Value in 2025
$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
Value in 2025
$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
⚾ Top 5 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