AUGUST 8, 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
Pride and Prejudice
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Pride and Prejudice
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
They Drive by Night
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They Drive by Night
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 Great McGinty
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The Great McGinty
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

August 8, 1940 Trivia

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Exact-date daily brief

August 8, 1940

On August 8, 1940, a significant development occurred as the United States navigated its complex position in global affairs, particularly World War II. The American political landscape was in flux, with cotton producers pledging t...

Inventions & Breakthroughs of August 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 August 8, 1940

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Cotton Shipment to Willkie in 1940. Impact: If only Willkie had known that he would become a cotton baron and start a fashion line, the textile industry might have never been the same. Imagine the 'Willkie Cotton Collection' hitting runways in Paris!. Fact: Cotton was once so valuable that it was referred to as 'white gold.' So really, sending it to Willkie was like sending him a treasure chest. Hope he didn’t use it to make a quilt!.
  • Headline: Dry Movement Pushes for Ballot Access. Impact: The resurgence of the Drys may have led to a national shortage of bad wine and cocktail parties. If only those rural areas knew – they could have started a revolution based on beer alone!. Fact: The Prohibition Party is like that friend who keeps crashing parties uninvited. No one really wants them there, but they just don’t get the hint.
  • Headline: Cohen and Kern Renew Political Disputes. Impact: This ongoing spat likely inspired countless sitcoms and reality TV shows where β€˜Councilman Cohen’ and β€˜Councilman Kern’ became household names, creating a new genre of political drama. Thanks, guys!. Fact: Disputes like this are the original 'reality TV' – people arguing over who borrowed whose stapler in the council chambers. Dramatic!.
  • Headline: USE OF THE HATCH ACT. Impact: The Hatch Act set off a chain reaction that led to politicians being more careful about their public behavior, resulting in more boring speeches and less scandalous headlines. Who knew compliance could be so dull?. Fact: The Hatch Act is like that strict teacher who makes you put away your phone – it keeps politicians in check, but let’s be honest, it’s a buzzkill for juicy gossip!.
  • Headline: First Lady to Attend News Guild's Sessions And Fight Reds if She Finds They Run It. Impact: This event led to a legendary rivalry between the First Lady and the 'Reds' that would later inspire a series of political cartoons depicting her as a superhero. The cape is a nice touch!. Fact: Mrs. Roosevelt was basically the original 'girl boss' before it was cool. Fighting Reds while attending news sessions? Talk about multitasking!.
  • Headline: PARIS EDITOR SEES FRANCE IN REVOLT; Mme. Tabouis Says Collapse, Result of Internal Disunity, Is Only Temporary. Impact: This prediction may have sparked a wave of optimism that led to an influx of tourists to Paris, believing they could witness a revolution in progress. Spoiler: they just got really good pastries instead. Fact: When editors predict revolts, you can bet that the pastries in Paris are about to get a serious upgrade. The real revolution is in the bakery!.
  • Headline: WAR GUILT INQUIRY ON IN FRANCE TODAY; Court to Convene at Riom for Preliminary Inquiry-- Mandel's Case First TRIAL MAY TAKE MONTHS Reynaud, Daladier and Blum to Appear as Witnesses, Subject to Indictment. Impact: This inquiry likely sparked debates that shaped the future of France’s political landscape, marking the beginning of a deep dive into accountability that echoes through modern politics. Who thought a courtroom could hold such historical weight?. Fact: When politicians gather for a trial, it’s like a family reunion – everyone has something to hide and the awkwardness is palpable. Just without the potato salad.
  • Headline: U.S. Airplanes for China Are Stored in Manila. Impact: This could have led to a whole new trend in air travel where people start vacationing in Manila to see their planes being stored. Talk about a niche tourism market!. Fact: Storing planes in Manila is the aviation equivalent of putting your summer clothes in a box for winter – just in case you need them later. Spoiler: they never do!.
  • Headline: Senate Gets Plan for U.S. Vessels To Aid in Bringing Children Here; Assurance of Safe Passage and Plain Marking of United States Flag, Visible FromAir, Are Among Stipulations TEXT OF THE MEASURE HOUSE PASSES BILL FOR REFUGEE SHIPS Relief Plans Are Backed. Impact: This plan could have inspired future legislative efforts for humanitarian aid, leading to a world where politicians actually have to care about the people. Shocking, I know!. Fact: When ships start showing up with children, you know the politicians have finally run out of excuses to dodge responsibility. Progress, albeit slow!.
  • Headline: Friend of Pigeons in Greeley Square Dies; Women Fed and Protected Birds 20 Years. Impact: The loss of this pigeon guardian may have inadvertently led to a rise in pigeon-related chaos, as the remaining birds now have no one to keep them in line. Chaos in the skies!. Fact: C. Fisher was the original 'Bird Lady' of New York. With her gone, pigeons are now probably plotting their next takeover of Greeley Square. Watch out!.

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