JUNE 1, 1940

SATURDAY
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
Waterloo Bridge
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Waterloo Bridge
Virginia City
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Virginia City
My Favorite Wife
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My Favorite Wife
My Little Chickadee
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My Little Chickadee
Our Town
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Our Town
Dr. Cyclops
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Dr. Cyclops
The Thief of Bagdad
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The Thief of Bagdad
Too Many Husbands
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Too Many Husbands
The Blue Bird
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The Blue Bird
The Invisible Man Returns
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The Invisible Man Returns
Beyond Tomorrow
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Beyond Tomorrow
Road to Singapore
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Road to Singapore
Black Friday
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Black Friday
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

June 1, 1940 Trivia

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Exact-date daily brief

June 1, 1940

On June 1, 1940, the world witnessed the looming threat of a new German military offensive aimed towards Paris, as hinted by reports emerging from Berlin. The Flanders Battle, known for its intensity, was concluding, setting the s...

Inventions & Breakthroughs of June 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 June 1, 1940

Full News Archive

  • Headline: German Offensive Plans Post-Flanders Battle. Impact: If Hitler hadn't been so keen on his Parisian coffee break, we might have avoided the rise of the French Resistance, which in turn inspired countless Hollywood movies about ragtag groups fighting against evil. Thanks, Hitler. Fact: Did you know that the Eiffel Tower was actually designed as a giant antenna to broadcast Hitler’s terrible taste in music? Just kiddingβ€”though it did serve as a strategic lookout.
  • Headline: Brooklyn Paving Fraud Inquiry Expands. Impact: The Brooklyn paving fraud scandal led to the invention of the β€˜Paving Contractor’s Handbook: How to Get Rich in Two Easy Steps’—which ironically only made things worse for honest contractors. Fact: Did you know that paving fraud is so common, it’s practically a rite of passage in Brooklyn? It's like a secret handshake, but with more asphalt.
  • Headline: City's Legal Defeat Against Buckley. Impact: When the city lost its suit against Buckley, it set a precedent for future politicians to dodge financial responsibility, leading directly to the rise of the phrase 'just another day in politics.'. Fact: Did you know that β€˜Buckley’ is actually a term used to describe a politician who gets away with everything? Yeah, it’s a real thing now.
  • Headline: PARK AIDES OBJECT TO MATERNITY RULE; Limit on Leaves Expected to Be Eased After Protest. Impact: The maternity rule protest kicked off a decades-long battle for women’s rights in the workplace, eventually leading to the invention of the β€˜Mommy Track’—which is really just a euphemism for 'we're still not ready for you to have a career.'. Fact: Did you know that maternity leave was originally designed to give moms some time off but somehow morphed into a two-month vacation for employers to stress about hiring new people?.
  • Headline: GERMANS CAPTURED; Nazi War Material Also Taken Near Abbeville in Mopping-Up Drive ALLIES CONTROL AIR French Planes Dropping Food to Trapped Army Battling to Coast. Impact: The capture of German war material led to a massive increase in military technology innovation, ultimately resulting in a Cold War arms race that was just a little too β€˜hot’ for comfort. Fact: Did you know that the Allies took so much German equipment they accidentally started a new trend in military fashion? β€˜Camouflage chic’ was all the rage for a while.
  • Headline: PLANE CRASH KILLS GIRL; Fiance, the Pilot, Is Critically Hurt in Accident at Take-Off. Impact: The tragic plane crash not only ended one young life but also sparked a national conversation about aviation safety, leading to more regulations and the invention of the infamous 'no-fly' lists that now keep everyone on their toes. Fact: Did you know that plane crashes have a unique way of making everyone suddenly expert aviation analysts? Everyone's a critic until they have to fly!.
  • Headline: FRENCH AT FRONT SEE FINAL VICTORY; War Has Shown the Germans Inferior, They Say, Despite Great Weapons. Impact: The French troops' confidence after the war led to an unprecedented surge in baguette sales, proving that nothing boosts morale quite like a fresh loaf of bread after you’ve stomped on an enemy. Fact: Did you know that the French military strategy often includes a healthy dose of β€˜mΓͺme pas peur’—which translates to β€˜not even scared,’ and is usually followed by a picnic?.
  • Headline: COLLEGE BUDGETS FOR SUMMER CUT; Higher Education Board Makes 25% Reduction in Requests of 3 City Institutions. Impact: The budget cuts for summer college sessions prompted a wave of students to perfect the art of procrastination, ultimately leading to the rise of β€˜The Summer of Netflix’ culture we know and love today. Fact: Did you know that the only thing getting more funding than summer college programs is pizza delivery services? Priorities, people!.
  • Headline: LADY OF RUTHLAND TAKES TOP AWARD; Gans's German Shepherd Best in Specialty Competition at Blind Brook Club PRIZES TO NOX, COTSWOLD Entries Bred at Tishman and Cosalta Kennels Register Sweep in Chief Judging. Impact: The dog show victory for Gans’s German Shepherd sparked a nationwide obsession with dog competitions, leading to the reality TV phenomenon where everyone thinks they can train a β€˜champion’ pooch. Fact: Did you know that dog shows are basically the Olympics for pups? Only with more fur and fewer steroid accusations.
  • Headline: CIVIL SERVICE RULE UPSET; Court Holds Promotions Must Be Made in Departments. Impact: The civil service rule upset led to an endless cycle of bureaucratic red tape, which has since evolved into what we now call β€˜government efficiency’—a phrase that’s basically an oxymoron. Fact: Did you know that the only thing more complicated than navigating civil service rules is trying to explain them at a family dinner? Good luck with that!.

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