JULY 18, 1940

THURSDAY
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
Boys of the City
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Boys of the City
The Ghost Breakers
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The Ghost Breakers
Dr. Cyclops
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Dr. Cyclops
The Thief of Bagdad
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The Thief of Bagdad
The Mortal Storm
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The Mortal Storm
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
All This, and Heaven Too
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All This, and Heaven Too
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

July 18, 1940 Trivia

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Exact-date daily brief

July 18, 1940

On July 18, 1940, significant developments in commerce and social policy emerged amidst a backdrop of global tension. Macy's, a prominent American department store, announced plans to open a new branch, signaling a commitment to e...

Inventions & Breakthroughs of July 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 July 18, 1940

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Macy's Parkchester Branch Announcement. Impact: This seemingly mundane retail decision led to the proliferation of shopping malls across America. Imagine, if Macy's hadn't opened in Parkchester, the world might have survived without annual Black Friday stampedes!. Fact: Did you know that the only thing more inflated than Macy's sale prices is their advertising budget? Just kidding, they actually spend it on balloons and confetti!.
  • Headline: Advancements of Indian Industry in 1940. Impact: The empowerment of Indian natives in industry set off a chain reaction that would lead to the rise of global outsourcing decades later. Who knew that one small step for industry could lead to an entire economy of call centers?. Fact: Fun fact: The term 'outsourcing' was first coined when someone realized they could get someone else to do their work for cheaper. Thanks, capitalism!.
  • Headline: New Titles: 'Citizen' in Baltic States. Impact: By replacing traditional titles, the USSR inadvertently set the stage for a world where everyone's identity is reduced to a single, boring label. Thanks, communism, for making us all feel like numbers!. Fact: Did you know that in some places, they still use titles like 'Your Excellency'? They must really miss the pomp and circumstance!.
  • Headline: SOVIET FARMS CRITICIZED; Collective Laborers Are Said to Work for Own Profit. Impact: This criticism of Soviet farms led to a cycle of mistrust that would ultimately contribute to the collapse of the USSR. It's almost like complaining about your roommate's dishes led to a full-blown eviction!. Fact: Did you know that in Soviet farms, they had an official 'potato day'? Because nothing says productivity like forcing everyone to harvest tubers on a schedule!.
  • Headline: BROOKLYN MAN MISSING; Ship Line Clerk Disappeared While Family Was at Movies. Impact: This mysterious disappearance sparked a minor suburban legend, inspiring countless 'missing person' cases and a reality TV series decades later. If only he had chosen a better time to vanish!. Fact: Did you know that Brooklyn has more missing persons cases than any other borough? Apparently, the pizza isn't the only thing that disappears!.
  • Headline: TO SUSPEND WOLF AWARD; Management Group Will Study Revision to Meet New Phases. Impact: The suspension of this award led to a complete overhaul of how accolades are given, eventually resulting in the creation of awards for literally everything, including 'Best Use of a Paperclip'. Fact: Fun fact: The Wolf Award was never for actual wolves. Just think of all the disappointed dogs waiting for recognition!.
  • Headline: C.I.O. MAKES TARGET OF DEFENSE TAXES; Consumers Bear Too Big a Share of the Burden, Legislative Committee ContendsWAGNER ACT DEFENDEDLewis Calls on Labor to Girdfor Fight on Amendmentsand Denounces Green. Impact: This fight over defense taxes led to a never-ending cycle of tax debates and endless legislative jargon. If only they had put that energy into discussing who really invented the sandwich!. Fact: Did you know that the C.I.O. stands for 'Congress of Industrial Organizations' and not 'Cats In Overalls'? Because that would have been adorable!.
  • Headline: FALL HATS SHOWN BY TWO DESIGNERS; EVEN NOW HAT DESIGNERS HAVE AN EYE ON AUTUMN. Impact: These designers' foresight into autumn fashion set off a trend that has led us to the current societal obsession with hats. Who knew that our heads would be the ultimate fashion statement?. Fact: Did you know that hats were once considered a sign of social status? Now they're just a way to hide a bad hair day!.
  • Headline: NATION WILL HEAR PRESIDENT TONIGHT; Roosevelt Expected to Address Convention on Radio After Notification. Impact: Roosevelt's radio address helped to popularize the use of media in politics, paving the way for today's social media rants by politicians. Imagine if he'd had Twitter!. Fact: Did you know that FDR's fireside chats were so popular that people would gather around their radios like it was a campfire? Ah, simpler times!.

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