JANUARY 6, 1940

SATURDAY
1940 Coca-Cola advertising artwork
$1,000 INVESTED IN COKE STOCK (KO) IN 1940
WOULD HAVE MADE YOU $8,324,276 IN THE 2025 DATASET
Min Wage Hourly$0.30
Median Home Price$4,000.00
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 1940
Show screen release and event cards
1 Boom Town
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Boom Town
2 The Great Dictator
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The Great Dictator
3 Rebecca
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Rebecca
4 North West Mounted Police
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North West Mounted Police
5 Strike Up the Band
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Strike Up the Band
6 Northwest Passage
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Northwest Passage
7 Andy Hardy Meets Debutante
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Andy Hardy Meets Debutante
8 The Fighting 69th
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The Fighting 69th
9 Santa Fe Trail
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Santa Fe Trail
10 Kitty Foyle
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Kitty Foyle
Gone with the Wind
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Gone with the Wind
Ninotchka
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Ninotchka
Of Mice and Men
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Of Mice and Men
Allegheny Uprising
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Allegheny Uprising
Remember?
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Remember?
A Christmas Carol
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A Christmas Carol

January 6, 1940 Trivia

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Exact-date daily brief

January 6, 1940

On January 6, 1940, significant political and military developments unfolded in the United States as Fulton Cutting appealed a gift tax ruling. This legal challenge highlighted the ongoing complexities surrounding taxation during...

Inventions & Breakthroughs of January 1940

Gadgets, lab surprises, odd bets, and future-shocks from this slice of the calendar.

1 Photocopier (Xerography)
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Photocopier (Xerography)
2 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Concept
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Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Concept
3 Jet Engine Flight Demonstration
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Jet Engine Flight Demonstration
4 Synthetic Detergent
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Synthetic Detergent
5 Mass-Produced Nylon Stockings
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Mass-Produced Nylon Stockings
6 Proximity Fuse
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Proximity Fuse
7 Electronic Fire Control System
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Electronic Fire Control System
8 Polyurethane Foam
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Polyurethane Foam
9 Early Speech Recognition Machine
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Early Speech Recognition Machine
10 Automatic Anti-Lock Brakes Concept
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Automatic Anti-Lock Brakes Concept

The Sounds of

Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year

Headlines From January 6, 1940

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Fulton Cutting Challenges Gift Tax. Impact: If only Fulton had kept the gift tax, we might have seen a rush of millionaires trying to outdo each other with increasingly ridiculous gifts. Imagine the chaos of a diamond-encrusted toaster becoming the hottest wedding gift of the 1940s. Fact: Did you know that the gift tax was created to prevent wealthy folks from avoiding estate taxes? So basically, the government was saying, 'You can give your money away, but not without a little slice for us!'.
  • Headline: Bear Sighting at Philadelphia Navy Yard. Impact: The bear at the Navy Yard sparked an unforeseen trend of animal mascots in military settings. Fast forward to today, and we have a whole battalion dedicated to cute, furry morale boosters. Who knew a bear could change the face of military PR?. Fact: Fun fact: This bear probably had a better job than most of us. At least he didn't have to file taxes or deal with a nine-to-five!.
  • Headline: Allies Acquire Rifles for Finland. Impact: The ruling to let allies receive rifles inadvertently set off a chain reaction of arms trades that would later fuel various conflicts worldwide. Congratulations, Jackson; your decision made 'arms dealer' a viable career path for decades!. Fact: Did you know that the Garand rifle was nicknamed 'The Greatest Battle Implement Ever Designed'? Sounds like someone was feeling rather ambitiousβ€”'cause who doesn't want to be known as the greatest at warfare?.
  • Headline: RIDDER URGES FORTITUDE; Tells German-Americans 1917 Situation Must Be Faced Again. Impact: Ridder's call for fortitude among German-Americans not only echoed through the 1940s but also laid the groundwork for the 'Keep Calm and Carry On' meme years later. Because nothing says resilience like a vintage poster and a stiff upper lip!. Fact: Fun fact: The 1917 situation involved a lot of chaos, war, and uncertainty. You'd think history would teach us to keep our heads down and avoid repeating mistakes, but here we are!.
  • Headline: ANN MITCHELL'S PLANS; Up-State Girl to Be Married on June 25 to T.W. Phillips 3d. Impact: Ann Mitchell's wedding plans could have been an innocent affair, but little did she know that her choice of wedding date would create a statistical anomaly in marriage rates. Thanks, Ann, for sending wedding planners into a frenzy for decades!. Fact: Did you know that June is one of the most popular months for weddings? It’s almost like people really enjoy the idea of 'sweaty summer nuptials' and overpriced catering!.
  • Headline: FARLEY STRESSES HEALTH IN DEFENSE; Praises Work of the Welfare Agencies in Contributing to Morale of Nation POSTOFFICE RALLY HELD $10,000 Gift of Postal Workers Is Presented to GreaterNew York Fund. Impact: Farley's emphasis on health in defense might have inadvertently inspired future politicians to speak about health without actually doing anything about it. Thanks to him, we now have a long tradition of politicians promising health care while avoiding the subject like it's a hot potato. Fact: Fun fact: The postal workers’ rally raised $10,000, which is like a small fortune in the 1930s. Today, that would barely cover the cost of a single latte for a hipster in Brooklyn.
  • Headline: FINANCIAL NOTES. Impact: The appointment of a stock registrar might seem mundane, but it set off a series of events that would lead to the modern stock market's rise and fall. Who knew that someone's paperwork could change the financial landscape forever?. Fact: Did you know that stock registrars essentially keep track of who owns what? It’s like being a glorified babysitter for rich people’s investments!.
  • Headline: NAZIS AIM AT HAVRE; Rapid Gains Are Claimed in Swift Thrust on Port and Paris BOMBS CLEAR PATHS Hitler Uses New Troops to Widen the Wedge Between Allies. Impact: The Nazis' assault on Havre and Paris might seem like a historical footnote, but their aggressive tactics inspired future military strategies that would ironically lead to the rise of more peaceful negotiations. Talk about a backfire!. Fact: Fun fact: The term 'blitzkrieg' comes from this kind of rapid warfare. It’s a German word that means 'lightning war,' which sounds a lot more exciting than it actually was.
  • Headline: QUITS STATE LAW BOARD; R.B. Sanford Testified in the Printing Inquiry Recently. Impact: Sanford's resignation from the State Law Board might have had a ripple effect in the legal community, leading to a dramatic increase in 'lawyer drama' reality shows. If only he knew he was creating a future TV genre!. Fact: Did you know that resigning from a board can sometimes lead to more scandal than actually serving? It’s like the legal version of jumping out of a plane and hoping for the best!.
  • Headline: Nazi Plan to Seize Uruguay Indicated; Party Cells Are Operating at Key Points; NAZI PLOT TO TAKE URUGUAY OUTLINED. Impact: The Nazi plot to seize Uruguay was a small blip in history, but it fueled conspiracy theories for generations. If only those party cells had known they were just a footnote in the grand scheme of global politics!. Fact: Fun fact: Uruguay managed to dodge the Nazi plot, which means they get to keep their beaches and meat pies, while the rest of the world was busy fighting over territory!.

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 1940
$0.06
Stored value
$3,433,941

Johnson & Johnson - If you invested $1,000 in 1940, it would be worth $3,433,941 today (3433.9x return)

Rank #2
PG
Procter & Gamble
Price in 1940
$0.25
Stored value
$586,657

Procter & Gamble - If you invested $1,000 in 1940, it would be worth $586,657 today (586.7x return)

Rank #3
KMB
Kimberly-Clark
Price in 1940
$0.69
Stored value
$147,887

Kimberly-Clark - If you invested $1,000 in 1940, it would be worth $147,887 today (147.9x return)

🦸 Top 5 Comics
Batman #1
Batman #1
$2,220,000
Flash Comics #1
Flash Comics #1
$1,500
Green Lantern #1
Green Lantern #1
$150,000
Detective Comics #38
Detective Comics #38
$42,000
All Star Comics #3
All Star Comics #3
$2,500
🧸 Top 5 Toys
Lone Ranger Frontier Town
Lone Ranger Frontier Town
$150.00
Red Ryder BB Gun
Red Ryder BB Gun
$250.00
Sorry!
Sorry!
$30.00
Paper Dolls
Paper Dolls
$35.00
Microscope Kit
Microscope Kit
$200.00
⚾ Top 5 Trading Cards
Walt Disney Comics and Stories #1 Card
Walt Disney Comics and Stories #1 Card
$800
Superman Gum Cards
Superman Gum Cards
$800
G-Men and Heroes of the Law
G-Men and Heroes of the Law
$11.00
1940 War Gum Cards
1940 War Gum Cards
$1,500
1940 Play Ball Baseball Cards
1940 Play Ball Baseball Cards
$3,000