JANUARY 29, 1940

MONDAY
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
The Shop Around the Corner
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The Shop Around the Corner
His Girl Friday
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His Girl Friday
The Blue Bird
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The Blue Bird
The Invisible Man Returns
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The Invisible Man Returns
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 29, 1940 Trivia

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Exact-date daily brief

January 29, 1940

On January 29, 1940, the Coddington family celebrated the birth of their son, a personal milestone that symbolized hope amidst the global turmoil of World War II. As nations continued to grapple with the ramifications of the escal...

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 29, 1940

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Clifford Coddington Welcomes Son. Impact: If Clifford Coddingtons had not had a son, we might have never had the famed Coddington Cookie recipe, which would have caused all future generations to suffer a lack of deliciousness. The world is now a sweeter place, thanks to one family’s decision to procreate. Fact: Coddingtons are statistically proven to have an 87% chance of being exceptionally good at baking. It's a genetic thing.
  • Headline: Surge in U.S. Tourists Anticipated. Impact: This influx of tourists led to the creation of overpriced souvenir shops, which would eventually contribute to a global crisis of tacky fridge magnets and novelty t-shirts. Thanks, tourists!. Fact: Tourist expectations have been inversely related to local happiness since the dawn of time. You'd think they'd learn.
  • Headline: Atlantic Clipper Averts Disaster. Impact: This routing shift was the first indication that GPS would eventually ruin human navigation skills, leading to the widespread use of 'turn left at the giant donut' instead of actual map reading. Thanks, Atlantic Clipper!. Fact: The term 'clipper ship' comes from the fact that they used to 'clip' the travel time in half – or so they claimed while charging you for the privilege.
  • Headline: FINNS HOLDING OFF RUSSIAN ATTEMPTS TO BREAK UP TRAP; More Hundreds of Invading Troops Reported Killed Northeast of Ladoga HEADY FIRING IN ISTHMUS Soviet Prisoner Says He Was Only Survivor of 70 in Unit-- Moscow Report Again Blank. Impact: Finnish resilience during this conflict inspired future generations to invent the sauna as a way to sweat out their problems, leading to a global love affair with extreme heat and awkward social interactions. Fact: Finland has more saunas than carsβ€”a fact that remains a mystery to those who haven't experienced one.
  • Headline: ACTORS FUND SHOW PLAYS TO STANDEES; Stars of Stage, Screen and Radio at Frohman's Annual Benefit. Impact: The success of this benefit show led to the rise of countless mediocre talent shows, creating a ripple effect that would eventually culminate in reality television. Thanks for that, Frohman. Fact: The term 'star power' was coined in this very event, but it later became a euphemism for 'someone who can cry on cue.'.
  • Headline: A.F.L. HELD ALOOF ON THE PRESIDENCY; Convening Council Members Assert No Candidate Can Expect a 'Blank Check'. Impact: A.F.L.'s aloofness on the presidency set a precedent for future organizations to become increasingly detached from the very issues they claim to champion, much like a cat ignoring its human until dinner time. Fact: The A.F.L. has been known to give out more 'no comments' than actual statements, making them the reigning champions of political dodgeball.
  • Headline: FLOOR IS LEASED TO PHOTOGRAPHERS; Juley & Sons to Leave 39th St. After 35 Years Because of Tunnel Project WRITER RENTS QUARTERS Burton J. Hendrick Locates in RCA Building--Garner Committee Leases. Impact: The departure of Juley & Sons led to an increase in photography studios, which inadvertently invented the awkward family photo trend. Thanks for the memories, Juley!. Fact: Every rented photo studio has a secret stash of props that are never used but always make their way into family photosβ€”because who doesn't want an inflatable dinosaur in the background?.
  • Headline: PROCLAIM HERESY, MANNING INSISTS; Bishop Asserts Duty of Church Is to Inspire Those Drawn Away From True Faith. Impact: Bishop Manning's insistence on heresy sparked a trend of church leaders trying to outdo each other in dramatic sermons, ultimately leading to a new religion: 'The Church of Overreacting.'. Fact: Heresy has been a popular sermon topic for centuries, mostly because it gives clergy something to rant about without having to address their own questionable life choices.
  • Headline: TODAY ON THE RADIO. Impact: This radio commentary heralded the dawn of 24-hour news cycles, which would eventually lead to the phenomenon of people being informed about everything but the weather. Thanks, radio!. Fact: Radio was once considered the future of communicationβ€”until people decided they preferred arguing on the internet instead.
  • Headline: BRITISH DUCHESSES ARE 'BEST DRESSED'; Wives of Windsor and Kent Tie in Paris Poll, Taking Title From Mme. Patino LEADERS IN WORLD'S BEST-DRESSED WOMEN POLL OF PARISIAN DRESSMAKERS. Impact: The best-dressed British duchesses set a fashion standard that spiraled into the modern obsession with celebrity culture, thereby ensuring that the fashion industry would never run out of drama. Fact: Fashion polls are about as accurate as horoscopesβ€”mostly entertaining, but definitely not something to base your life decisions on.

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