FEBRUARY 9, 1940

FRIDAY
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
Learn More
Boom Town
2 The Great Dictator
Learn More
The Great Dictator
3 Rebecca
Learn More
Rebecca
4 North West Mounted Police
Learn More
North West Mounted Police
5 Strike Up the Band
Learn More
Strike Up the Band
6 Northwest Passage
Learn More
Northwest Passage
7 Andy Hardy Meets Debutante
Learn More
Andy Hardy Meets Debutante
8 The Fighting 69th
Learn More
The Fighting 69th
9 Santa Fe Trail
Learn More
Santa Fe Trail
10 Kitty Foyle
Learn More
Kitty Foyle
The Shop Around the Corner
Learn More
The Shop Around the Corner
His Girl Friday
Learn More
His Girl Friday
My Little Chickadee
Learn More
My Little Chickadee
The Blue Bird
Learn More
The Blue Bird
The Invisible Man Returns
Learn More
The Invisible Man Returns
Gone with the Wind
Learn More
Gone with the Wind
Ninotchka
Learn More
Ninotchka
Of Mice and Men
Learn More
Of Mice and Men
Allegheny Uprising
Learn More
Allegheny Uprising
Remember?
Learn More
Remember?
A Christmas Carol
Learn More
A Christmas Carol

February 9, 1940 Trivia

Multiple choice - Sign in to save + leaderboard - View all-time leaderboard
Score: 0 / 0
All-time leaderboard
Your results

Exact-date daily brief

February 9, 1940

On February 9, 1940, mounting frustration among taxpayers culminated in a dramatic protest at Scranton City Hall, where angry citizens confronted council members regarding tax burdens. This unrest was amplified by a recent announc...

Inventions & Breakthroughs of February 1940

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

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

The Sounds of

Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year

Headlines From February 9, 1940

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Tax Deductions Explained for Businesses. Impact: This meticulous detailing of expenses led to the rise of accountants as the unsung heroes of capitalism, creating a future where tax evasion became an Olympic sport. Fact: Did you know that the only thing more complicated than tax deductions is trying to explain them to your relatives at Thanksgiving?.
  • Headline: Taxpayers Protest Against Budget Increase. Impact: This uproar sparked a nationwide trend of taxpayers storming local government buildings, paving the way for countless memes about angry citizens and their pitchforks. Fact: Fun fact: If you storm City Hall, you’re expected to bring your own pitchfork. It’s a budget cut thing.
  • Headline: Japan's Pivotal Moment in 1940. Impact: These 'critical days' set in motion a series of events that would lead Japan to become a major player in global politics, changing the course of history forever. Fact: The phrase 'critical days' was coined ironically; they were actually just trying to find a good time to schedule a tea party.
  • Headline: POLICE QUESTIONED ON TIES TO 'FRONT'; Valentine Also Asks Them to Disclose Any Bund, Nazi or Communist Affiliations. Impact: This inquiry made police affiliations a hot topic, leading to the creation of the world's most awkward dinner parties where everyone just pretended not to know each other’s backgrounds. Fact: Turns out, the only thing more confusing than police affiliations is trying to figure out what 'Bund' means at a family reunion.
  • Headline: VALENTINE SHIFTS 2 POLICE INSPECTORS; Officers in Bronx and Queens Exchange Commands. Impact: This simple shift led to an unforeseen rivalry between the Bronx and Queens, resulting in countless debates over who really has the best bagels. Fact: In the realm of police work, swapping inspectors is like playing musical chairs, but with more paperwork and fewer chairs.
  • Headline: TOMORROW'S GOAL SET BY FIRST LADY; In Address to Harvard Women She Calls for Unbiased Minds. Impact: This call for unbiased minds inspired generations of women to enter academia, resulting in a world where they're still trying to explain to men why their opinions are not always facts. Fact: Mrs. Roosevelt’s address was so good that it was rumored to have caused the first-ever collective eye roll from male academics.
  • Headline: PRESIDENT TACKLES MUNITION PROBLEM; Summons Three of Cabinet to Confer on Foreign Buying of Raw Materials PLANE PURCHASES RISING Britain and France Expected to Obtain 7,000 Motors Here This Year. Impact: This meeting led to a massive increase in military contracts, ultimately shaping the future of defense spending and leading to the world's most convoluted supply chain for airplane parts. Fact: If only they knew how much easier it would be to just order everything online with two-day shipping.
  • Headline: Italian Dynamite Blast Kills 5. Impact: This tragic explosion underscored the dangers of industrial negligence, leading to stricter safety regulations that would save countless lives in the future. Fact: Dynamite might be exciting in theory, but in practice, it’s best used in small, controlled dosesβ€”preferably not around people.
  • Headline: WISCONSIN IS FIRST IN THIRD-TERM TEST; Roosevelt's Name Is Filed for April Primary--Garner Active in Illinois. Impact: Roosevelt's quest for a third term not only redefined political norms but also inspired future candidates to think, 'If he can do it, why can't I?' leading to an endless cycle of 'term-limited' politicians. Fact: It's a little-known fact that the real test for a third term is actually just how many times you can dodge questions about your age.
  • Headline: HEADS ROCHESTER LIBRARY; University Names J.R. Russell of the National Archives. Impact: This appointment marked the beginning of a new era in library science, where librarians would become the gatekeepers of knowledge, and patrons would continue to believe that 'quiet' was just a suggestion. Fact: J.R. Russell probably had to fight off a dozen bookworms just to claim his deskβ€”librarians take their territory seriously!.

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