DECEMBER 14, 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
The Roaring Twenties
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The Roaring Twenties
Confessions of a Nazi Spy
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Confessions of a Nazi Spy
Destry Rides Again
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Destry Rides Again
Love Affair
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Love Affair
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex
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The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex
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
Another Thin Man
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Another Thin Man
Ninotchka
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Ninotchka
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
Allegheny Uprising
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Allegheny Uprising
Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation
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Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation
The Cat and the Canary
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The Cat and the Canary
At the Circus
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At the Circus
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

December 14, 1939 Trivia

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Exact-date daily brief

December 14, 1939

On December 14, 1939, a critical analysis of the military situation in Europe was presented as Lord Chatfield, a prominent British naval officer, predicted that a decisive land drive would determine the outcome of World War II. Th...

Inventions & Breakthroughs of December 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 December 14, 1939

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Allies' Delay and Air Supremacy Prediction. Impact: Lord Chatfield's prediction of a decisive land drive sparked widespread optimism among Allied forces, leading to increased morale and a hopeful surge in recruitment. This culminated in a butterfly effect that resulted in a massive increase in wartime propaganda, which eventually inspired a new genre of motivational films β€” 'Victory Through Mutton'. Fact: Lord Chatfield's secret weapon was actually just a very well-kept secret. The real question is: how many sandwiches did he consume while making these grand predictions?.
  • Headline: Russia's Expulsion from the League of Nations. Impact: The League of Nations' decision to expel Russia not only isolated the country but also triggered a chain reaction of diplomatic faux pas that led to more awkward international dinners than anyone could handle. Who knew diplomacy could be so messy?. Fact: Fun fact: The League of Nations was basically the adult version of a schoolyard 'no girls allowed' club, just with more serious consequences and, you know, actual wars.
  • Headline: St. Louis Shoe Wage Act Appeal. Impact: The St. Louis Shoe Group's consideration of a minimum wage appeal inadvertently led to a nationwide 'shoemakers vs. everyone else' feud that resulted in a bizarre fashion trend where people wore shoes that were way too big just to protest the idea of minimum wage. Fact: The 35-cent minimum wage was so low that even inflation laughed at it. Seriously, who thought that was a good idea?.
  • Headline: British Mystery Drama Casts Mutton as Bacon. Impact: The British Mystery Drama incident led to a culinary revolution where smoked mutton sandwiches became the go-to meal for politicians, which in turn encouraged a series of culinary scandals that rocked the Commons to its core. Who knew mutton could be so scandalous?. Fact: This was the moment when British politicians decided that if they were going to serve mutton, it better be smoked, or else it wouldn’t be considered 'proper' cuisine!.
  • Headline: CITY SPENDING HELD FUTURE SCHOOL AID; Marshall Backs Development of La Guardia Field Even at Expense of Budget. Impact: Marshall's push for airport development at the expense of the budget led to a nationwide obsession with airports. Soon enough, every town wanted its own mini airport, leading to a rise in 'airport culture' where people just hung out at terminals for fun. Talk about a gate-keeping issue!. Fact: La Guardia Field became so popular that it was nearly renamed 'La La Land' due to the amount of daydreaming that took place there!.
  • Headline: LEGION IS WARNED ON PENSION FIGHT; Veterans' Gounsel Says Rankin Bill Would Saddle Nation With Billions in Costs VIEW HELD 'DISTORTED' Legion Spokesman Says Plan Is to Care Only for Needy and the Destitute. Impact: The Legion’s pension fight escalated into a full-blown debate about government spending, leading to an unexpected societal shift where every citizen started demanding pensions for being 'alive' and 'existing'. This new movement turned into quite a spectacle. Fact: Being 'needy and destitute' became the hottest new trend among politicians. Who knew poverty could be so fashionable?.
  • Headline: TO FILL JUDICIAL SEATS; President to Fill Supreme Court and Other Vacancies Soon. Impact: The President's impending judicial appointments sparked rampant speculation. This led to a reality show phenomenon where judges were chosen based on their ability to perform legal puns, thus turning the courtroom into a comedy club. Fact: Rumor has it that the first judge appointed was a former stand-up comic. Justice has never been so funny!.

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