APRIL 1, 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 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
Virginia City
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Virginia City
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
Road to Singapore
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Road to Singapore
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

April 1, 1940 Trivia

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Exact-date daily brief

April 1, 1940

On April 1, 1940, Peru appointed a new Finance Minister, a significant development amid the global tensions of World War II, which was reshaping international relations and economies. In the United States, the American public was...

Inventions & Breakthroughs of April 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 April 1, 1940

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Peru Appoints New Finance Minister. Impact: The appointment of a finance minister in Peru led to a series of fiscal policies that eventually made Peru the go-to destination for llamas and alpaca sweaters in the 21st century. Who knew a budget could be so fashionable?. Fact: Did you know that finance ministers are basically like the adult version of a kid with a piggy bank? Just don't expect them to share the candy.
  • Headline: Tennis Star Injured in Auto Accident. Impact: MANGIN's unfortunate accident created a surge in demand for safer driving regulations, which ultimately led to the invention of the airbag. Thank you, auto accidents, for making our cars slightly less deadly. Fact: Did you know that before airbags, the only thing protecting you during a collision was your sheer willpower and a prayer?.
  • Headline: April 1940: Convention Boom in NYC. Impact: The rise in conventions in NYC led to the emergence of the β€˜convention tourism’ industry, which eventually resulted in the creation of awkward networking events that plague us to this day. Thanks, merchants!. Fact: Did you know that convention attendees are basically just professional name tag wearers? It's a skill that takes years to perfect!.
  • Headline: CONCERT AIDS FINNS; Count Sparre Brings Word From Marshal Von Mannerheim. Impact: Count Sparre's concert not only aided the Finnish cause but also inadvertently started a trend of celebrity charity events that would confuse the public for decades. Now everyone thinks singing can solve world issues!. Fact: Did you know that a 'Count' is basically a noble with a dramatic flair? They should really just get into theater instead of politics.
  • Headline: Other Music; City Symphony Is Heard. Impact: The City Symphony's concert for young composers initiated a musical renaissance that led to the explosion of indie music in the 21st century. So, thanks for all the hipsters, City Symphony!. Fact: Did you know that being a 'young composer' is just a fancy way of saying 'I play the ukulele and write sad songs about my cat'?.
  • Headline: Topics of The Times. Impact: The strike by professionals against debutantes signaled the beginning of a long-standing feud between the old guard and the new wave in NYC, leaving us with a legacy of grumpy professionals and entitled debutantes. The drama continues!. Fact: Did you know that striking is just a fancy term for 'let's see how long we can be dramatic without getting paid'?.
  • Headline: New Zealand to Form Cabinet. Impact: New Zealand's cabinet formation led to the establishment of a political system that would, over the years, produce some of the most popular leaders known for their sheep-related policies. No joke, they really love sheep!. Fact: Did you know that New Zealand has more sheep than people? It's the only place where 'baa' is a common form of communication!.
  • Headline: JAPANESE FIGHTING UPON INDO-CHINA; Invaders Are Believed to Plan to Check Influx of Supplies for Defense Forces MACAO APPEALS TO TOKYO Japan Is Asked by Portuguese to End Encroachments on Their Territory. Impact: Japan's military actions in Indo-China sparked a series of geopolitical shifts that eventually contributed to the global tensions of World War II. Just a small ripple that turned into a tsunami of conflict. Fact: Did you know that the only thing scarier than a world war is a world war with bad coffee? Thankfully, that wasn't an issue in the 1940s.

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