MARCH 17, 1940

SUNDAY
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 Grapes of Wrath
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The Grapes of Wrath
The Shop Around the Corner
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The Shop Around the Corner
His Girl Friday
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His Girl Friday
Pinocchio
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Pinocchio
My Little Chickadee
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My Little Chickadee
The Thief of Bagdad
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The Thief of Bagdad
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

March 17, 1940 Trivia

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Exact-date daily brief

March 17, 1940

On March 17, 1940, maritime research highlighted the presence of sea birds off the coast of Peru, reflecting a growing interest in oceanography and the ecological impacts of marine life. Meanwhile, the gardening community was abuz...

Inventions & Breakthroughs of March 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 March 17, 1940

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Sea Birds Discovered in Peru. Impact: The ruffled feathers of these Peruvian sea birds led to a global fascination with avian fashion, resulting in a bizarre trend of bird-themed haute couture in Paris. Who knew that a little birdwatching could influence the catwalk?. Fact: Speaking of birds, did you know that the average chicken can live up to 5-10 years? So much for those quick dinners!.
  • Headline: Foliage Focus for Spring Gardening. Impact: The obsession with foliage over blooms caused a major shift in gardening trends, leading to the rise of the 'Foliage Fashionistas' – a group dedicated to advocating for the under-appreciated shrub. Yes, they wear leaf-patterned berets. Fact: In case you were wondering, plants can communicate with each other through their roots. So, next time you’re choosing plants, remember: they might be gossiping about your choices!.
  • Headline: Annual Sealing Hunts of 1940. Impact: The annual seal hunts sparked a decades-long debate about animal rights, leading to the first 'Seal of Approval' certification for humane practices. Who knew seals could wield so much power?. Fact: Seals can hold their breath for up to 30 minutes! That’s longer than most people can handle a boring meeting.
  • Headline: ROAD TOLLS STIR FIGHT; Autoists Are Engaged in A Lively Argument With Authorities. Impact: The toll road argument ignited a wave of anti-toll protests, inspiring future generations to start a movement against all forms of tolls, including those pesky emotional tolls we all pay in relationships. Thanks, autoists!. Fact: Did you know that many drivers believe they are better than average? Spoiler alert: They’re not.
  • Headline: Newsom and Derringer to Start On Mound in All-Star Game Today; Managers of Rival All-Star Teams. Impact: The rivalry between Newsom and Derringer set the stage for an ongoing battle of egos in sports, leading to the invention of the 'All-Star Selfie' – a trend where players compete to take the most ridiculous selfies instead of actually playing. Fact: All-Star games are basically the equivalent of a high school reunion, where everyone pretends they still like each other.
  • Headline: TWO SOLOISTS TRY A DUET. Impact: The attempt of two soloists to merge their talents led to the rise of the 'Duet Disaster' genre in music, where every collaboration is an unpredictable rollercoaster of harmony and chaos. Fact: In music, the term 'duet' comes from the Latin word 'duo', meaning 'two people arguing over who sings better.'.
  • Headline: CHILD AND PARENT. Impact: The push to stimulate musical interest in children resulted in a national movement to replace traditional education with music classes, leading to a generation of kids who can’t do math but can definitely belt out a tune. Fact: Studies show that children exposed to music are better at math... but let’s face it, that won't help much on their report cards.
  • Headline: JOHN WERSCHINGER, CHORUS DIRECTOR, DIES; Lieder Composer, 80, Once Led Liedertafel Choir in Dresden. Impact: The passing of John Werschinger served as a wake-up call for the music community, prompting a renaissance of choral music that would inspire countless flash mobs in public spaces years later. Who knew a death could lead to such public displays of musical affection?. Fact: Did you know that many famous composers were also terrible at managing their finances? Werschinger likely left behind more musical notes than dollar bills!.
  • Headline: SURVEY ON RUSSELL STRESSES ETHICS; Philosophy Department of City College Cites Extracts From Professor's Works AIMED TO REFUTE ATTACK Study to Be Presented to Board When It Reconsiders Appointment Tomorrow. Impact: The ethics survey at City College became the catalyst for an ongoing debate about academic freedom, eventually leading to a series of college courses titled 'How to Argue About Ethics Without Losing Your Mind.'. Fact: Philosophy majors are often told they can do anything, but let's be honest: that usually means endless debates over coffee rather than actual job offers.
  • Headline: ST. PATRICK'S HALFPENCE PRIZED. Impact: The sudden popularity of St. Patrick's halfpence led to a mysterious surge in treasure hunting, causing countless 'hunters' to dig up backyards in a futile quest for luck and riches. Spoiler: they found only garden gnomes. Fact: Halfpence might be prized today, but back in the day, they were worth less than your average cup of coffee. And we all know how quickly that cost adds up!.

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