APRIL 26, 1940

FRIDAY
$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
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 Grapes of Wrath
Learn More
The Grapes of Wrath
The Shop Around the Corner
Learn More
The Shop Around the Corner
His Girl Friday
Learn More
His Girl Friday
Pinocchio
Learn More
Pinocchio
Virginia City
Learn More
Virginia City
My Little Chickadee
Learn More
My Little Chickadee
Dr. Cyclops
Learn More
Dr. Cyclops
The Thief of Bagdad
Learn More
The Thief of Bagdad
Too Many Husbands
Learn More
Too Many Husbands
The Blue Bird
Learn More
The Blue Bird
The Invisible Man Returns
Learn More
The Invisible Man Returns
Road to Singapore
Learn More
Road to Singapore
Black Friday
Learn More
Black Friday
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
April 26, 1940 Trivia
Multiple choice - Sign in to save + leaderboard - View all-time leaderboard
Score: 0 / 0
All-time leaderboard
Your results
The Story of April 26, 1940

On April 26, 1940, significant geopolitical tensions were evident as Germany's military strategies kept its adversaries in a defensive posture.

Inventions & Breakthroughs of April 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 ON April 26, 1940

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Sweden's Aircraft Order Delayed in 1940. Impact: If only those planes had taken off, Sweden might have become the first nation to establish a flying pizza delivery service - leading to a global pizza revolution. The world’s waistlines, however, might have protested.. Fact: In case you were wondering, $1,000,000 back then could buy you a fleet of planes or a small island. Spoiler: Islands don't come with wings..
  • Headline: Allies on Defensive Amidst Flood Damage. Impact: This sense of constant anxiety may have led to the invention of fidget spinners. Who knew that nerves could spark a toy revolution?. Fact: The only thing more defensive than Berlin was probably a teenager who just had their phone taken away..
  • Headline: Armstrong vs. P Junior Bout Tonight. Impact: Had Armstrong won this match decisively, he might have inspired a generation of athletes to pursue careers in boxing over more practical and lucrative fields like accounting.. Fact: Boxing: the only sport where getting a black eye is considered a badge of honor instead of a medical emergency..
  • Headline: COURT BARS MARX AT RED LIBEL TRIAL; Prosecutor Fails to Bring In Communist Manifesto in Questioning Hathaway. Impact: This might have inadvertently led to a massive increase in underground book clubs dedicated to discussing Marx’s ideas in basements, ultimately shaping modern literature's underground scene.. Fact: Pro tip: If you're ever on trial, try to avoid referencing a 100-page manifesto. Just a thought..
  • Headline: Colombian Flier Dies in Crash. Impact: The tragic loss of Lt H Arango reminded aviation authorities worldwide of the importance of safety protocols, leading to stricter regulations that saved countless lives in the long run.. Fact: Flying is statistically safer than driving, but no one ever said that to Lt H Arango before his fateful flight..
  • Headline: NAZIS' SHIP LOSSES PUT AT 30 IN 13 DAYS; British Also Say 3,000 German Dead Were Washed Ashore-- Berlin Claims Successes. Impact: The loss of ships not only weakened the Nazi fleet but may have indirectly inspired a generation of naval engineers to create unsinkable ships, which ironically led to the invention of the Titanic.. Fact: This was the kind of 'success' that, when you looked closer, was more like a sinking feeling..
  • Headline: MAYOR INTERVENES IN STRIKE AT FAIR; SUPPLIES DWINDLE; Parley Is Called for Today as Work on Pavilions Is Slowed by Lack of Deliveries MOST LANDSCAPING HALTS Exhibitors Irked by Prospect of Costly Last-Minute Rush --Taxi Deadlock Holds. Impact: If only the mayor had picked a better time to intervene, the fair could have turned into an extravagant circus where everyone wore clown shoes instead of worrying about supplies.. Fact: Nothing says 'fair' like a good old-fashioned strike. Can we get some cotton candy while we wait?.
  • Headline: PLANS SPECIAL SESSION; Pennsylvania Governor to Call Legislature for Relief Needs. Impact: This session might have inadvertently led to an entirely new genre of 'emergency meetings' that would haunt politicians for decades, establishing the modern-day practice of procrastination.. Fact: Special sessions are like surprise parties, only nobody is excited and everyone leaves more stressed..
  • Headline: Topics of The Times. Impact: If this segment had taken off, it could have paved the way for today's endless social media debates about the best pizza toppings, ultimately causing a nationwide pizza crisis.. Fact: Topics of the Times: where every opinion is valid, even if it's about pineapple on pizza..

Wall Street Time Machine

The Right Call: If you'd invested $1,000 in any one of these companies in 1940, here's what the stored 2025 dataset estimates.
Rank #1
JNJ
Johnson & Johnson
Price in 1940
$0.06
2025 dataset 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
2025 dataset 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
2025 dataset 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