OCTOBER 12, 1939

THURSDAY
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
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
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The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
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
Beau Geste
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Beau Geste
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
Each Dawn I Die
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Each Dawn I Die
Bachelor Mother
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Bachelor Mother
Intermezzo: A Love Story
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Intermezzo: A Love Story
The Old Maid
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The Old Maid
Golden Boy
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Golden Boy
In Name Only
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In Name Only
The Three Musketeers
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The Three Musketeers
Dark Victory
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Dark Victory
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
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The Hunchback of Notre Dame
When Tomorrow Comes
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When Tomorrow Comes
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

October 12, 1939 Trivia

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Exact-date daily brief

October 12, 1939

On October 12, 1939, a significant movement emerged in response to what was deemed 'hysteria' in radio news broadcasts. A women's group initiated efforts to curb the spread of unsubstantiated reports, highlighting the growing conc...

Inventions & Breakthroughs of October 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 October 12, 1939

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Women's Group Fights Radio Hysteria. Impact: The movement to prevent unsubstantiated reports caused a ripple effect through media history, resulting in the future creation of fact-checking organizations. Ironically, the very same organizations now spend their days fact-checking memes shared by your aunt on Facebook. Fact: Did you know that 'HYSTERIA' was once a medical diagnosis for women? Turns out, it was just a fancy term for 'women having opinions.'.
  • Headline: Wage Increases for Waterway Workers. Impact: The wage increases for employees in waterways services led to a nationwide trend of unions demanding better pay, which eventually culminated in the rise of coffee breaksβ€”because who doesn’t want a 15-minute escape from reality?. Fact: Did you know that 'waterways aides' is just another term for 'people who know how to paddle'? Truly a niche skill set.
  • Headline: Stable Exports in Mexican Mining Sector. Impact: The steady exports of gold and silver, along with the rising copper prices, incited a series of treasure hunts in backyards across America, leading to a spike in 'X marks the spot' maps, which were ultimately useless. Fact: Did you know that copper is also used for making pennies? So essentially, this headline is just about making more coins to toss into wishing wells.
  • Headline: Shanghai Americans Concerned. Impact: Concern from Shanghai Americans over shipping clauses eventually led to the establishment of a global shipping advisory board, which today is just a group of people arguing over who gets to steer the boat. Fact: Did you know that the U.S. Congress has been concerned about shipping clauses since the days of wooden ships? Some things never change, including the level of concern!.
  • Headline: VATICAN ASKS ALLIES TO AID POLISH CHURCH; Britain and France Reply They See No Way to Help. Impact: The Vatican’s plea for help with the Polish Church led to a series of diplomatic discussions that would later be joked about as 'the Holy See's version of begging for Wi-Fi,' proving that even in dire times, humor finds a way. Fact: Did you know that during crises, the Vatican often sends out more letters than a beleaguered college student? No miracle can save you from that level of correspondence!.
  • Headline: IROQUOIS ARRIVES SAFELY IN PORT; Convoyed From Mid--Ocean After Warning--Joyous Scenes at Pier. Impact: The safe arrival of the Iroquois in New York City sparked a trend of ships throwing extravagant parties upon arrival, which eventually led to the concept of 'cruise ships'β€”because who doesn't want to party on the open sea?. Fact: Did you know that the Iroquois was once the hottest ticket in town? Now it just sounds like a fancy name for a long-awaited Uber.
  • Headline: PRESIDENT APPEALS TO C.I.O. FOR PEACE; Tells Convention the Country Wants an End to Separation in the Labor Movement STRESSES NATIONAL UNITY He Urges Renewal of Conferences With A.F.L. to Continue Until Settlement Is Reached. Impact: The President's appeal for peace among labor groups ironically led to the creation of more divisions within labor, as unions realized that 'peace' often just meant 'let's agree to disagree while picketing.'. Fact: Did you know that the C.I.O. and A.F.L. once argued so much they made a reality TV show out of it? Spoiler alert: No one won.
  • Headline: CERMANS DISCOUNT BRITISH SEA POWER; Days of Unlimited Control in North Sea Are Held Past-- Intensified Raids Seen. Impact: The German discounting of British sea power set the stage for future geopolitical shifts, ultimately leading to the rise of naval puns in pop culture. Who knew that the fate of nations would rest on clever wordplay?. Fact: Did you know that 'sea power' is just a fancy way of saying 'whoever has the biggest boat wins'? Sounds like a playground argument on a much larger scale.
  • Headline: Lindbergh to Talk Again On Repeal of Embargo. Impact: Lindbergh's talks on the repeal of the embargo kickstarted a series of debates that eventually led to the modern-day obsession with foreign policyβ€”because nothing says 'fun' like a good old-fashioned embargo argument. Fact: Did you know that Lindbergh was actually the first person to use the phrase 'Let’s talk about foreign relations' at a party? It went over about as well as you’d expect.

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