APRIL 2, 1940

TUESDAY
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 2, 1940 Trivia

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Exact-date daily brief

April 2, 1940

On April 2, 1940, Maurice Evans made a noteworthy return to the stage in a limited engagement of Shakespeare's 'King Richard II'. This performance brought renewed attention to the arts during a time when global tensions were escal...

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 2, 1940

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Maurice Evans in King Richard II. Impact: Maurice Evans' return sparked a theatrical renaissance, leading to a world where Shakespearean insults became the primary form of communication, resulting in an increase in dramatic breakups and a shortage of therapists. Fact: Did you know that Shakespeare wrote more than just plays? He also invented the 'I can't even' face we all use today!.
  • Headline: Australian Claims U.S. Auto Industry Sabotage. Impact: This event triggered a global automotive conspiracy where Australians began secretly influencing car designs worldwide, leading to the bizarre creation of the 'Ute' – a vehicle that could only be described as a truck's confused cousin. Fact: Fun fact: The term 'motor heads' was actually coined by disgruntled automotive enthusiasts who couldn't find their keys.
  • Headline: Angel Squares Her Account. Impact: By paying that long-overdue dog license, Angel inadvertently inspired countless pet owners to confront their own procrastination, leading to a decade-long surge in pet pampering β€” and an alarming rise in doggie spas. Fact: In Los Angeles, dog licenses are so overdue that they come with a complimentary therapy session for the owner's guilt!.
  • Headline: TALA BIRELL A CITIZEN; Viennese Actress Takes Oath in Chicago, Then Flies Here. Impact: Tala's citizenship oath ignited a wave of artistic immigration, resulting in Chicago becoming the world's first city where you could find a coffee shop staffed entirely by dramatic poets and interpretive dancers. Fact: Did you know that becoming a U.S. citizen requires you to memorize the Preamble? Good luck with that if you're more into dramatic monologues!.
  • Headline: 70,000 Return to London Schools. Impact: This mass return marked the beginning of an era where school lunches were forever changed, leading to the infamous 'mystery meat' phenomenon that still haunts cafeteria workers to this day. Fact: Did you know that the only thing scarier than the food in school cafeterias is the thought of getting caught passing notes in class?.
  • Headline: SPAIN CELEBRATES ONE YEAR OF PEACE; 15,000 Men of Army, Navy and Air Force Are Reviewed by Franco in Madrid FALANCE'S PART IS MINOR Contingent Brings Up in Rear --Mechanization Featured, Some Material Russian. Impact: The celebration of peace sparked a series of mixed messages about war and peace in Europe, eventually leading to an annual tradition of confusing parades where nobody knew whether to cheer or flee. Fact: The irony of celebrating peace while parading military might is not lost on historians, who often refer to it as 'celebratory confusion.'.
  • Headline: Bulgarian Ports Bar Aliens. Impact: This headline set off a chain reaction, leading to the creation of underground maritime clubs where aliens could mingle... if they could find a way past the bouncers. Fact: Did you know that the term 'alien' in this context is just as confusing as trying to explain your family's Thanksgiving politics?.
  • Headline: 15,000 OPEN DRIVE FOR WELFARE FUND; Volunteers at Garden Rally Are Urged to Set New Mark-- Roosevelt Backs Plea President Commends Drive Governor Lehman's Message 15,000 OPEN DRIVE FOR WELFARE FUND Part of American System Money Is "Sorely Needed". Impact: This event kickstarted a philanthropic frenzy, resulting in the world's first 'donation-off' where charities began competing for the most outlandish fundraising ideas β€” think bake sales featuring truffle-infused kale brownies. Fact: If you think fundraisers are creative now, you should have seen the ones that involved synchronized swimming in soup!.
  • Headline: JAPANESE REPORT GAINS; Tell of Rapid Progress in Drive Toward Indo-China Border. Impact: The report on Japanese gains led to a global game of geopolitical Twister, where countries had to stretch in unimaginable ways just to avoid stepping on each other's toes. Fact: In the world of diplomacy, 'gains' often means 'let's pretend we aren't watching while we all make questionable decisions.'.
  • Headline: HALF BILLION RISE IN RELIEF FUNDS URGED ON CONGRESS; STAMPEDE THE AIM Tales of Huge Slash in Relief Rolls Denied by WPA Itself HEARINGS ON BILL START Four Demands Made in House for New Outlay as Pressure on Members Increases. Impact: The push for relief funds led to an unprecedented surge in congressional debates, resulting in the invention of 'Congressional Gymnastics' β€” a sport where politicians twist and turn their arguments to avoid actually making decisions. Fact: Did you know that Congress has more dramatic debates than most reality TV shows? And they don't even have a script!.

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