MAY 31, 1941

SATURDAY
$1,000 INVESTED IN COKE STOCK (KO) IN 1941
WOULD HAVE MADE YOU $10,560,211 IN THE 2025 DATASET
Min_Wage_Hourly: $0.35
Median_Home_Price: $4,340.00
Gas_Price_Avg: $0.19
Bread_Price_Avg: $0.10
Movie_Ticket_Avg: $0.32
First_Class_Stamp: $0.03
Milk_Price_Avg: $0.58
Top Movies From 1941
1 Sergeant York
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Sergeant York
2 Honky Tonk
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Honky Tonk
3 Louisiana Purchase
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Louisiana Purchase
4 How Green Was My Valley
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How Green Was My Valley
5 The Philadelphia Story
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The Philadelphia Story
6 Caught in the Draft
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Caught in the Draft
7 A Yank in the R.A.F.
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A Yank in the R.A.F.
8 Men of Boys Town
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Men of Boys Town
9 Ziegfeld Girl
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Ziegfeld Girl
10 They Died with Their Boots On
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They Died with Their Boots On
High Sierra
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High Sierra
The Face Behind the Mask
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The Face Behind the Mask
Meet John Doe
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Meet John Doe
Blood and Sand
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Blood and Sand
The Great Lie
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The Great Lie
Adam Had Four Sons
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Adam Had Four Sons
Topper Returns
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Topper Returns
Buck Privates
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Buck Privates
The Sea Wolf
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The Sea Wolf
Lady from Louisiana
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Lady from Louisiana
The Devil and Miss Jones
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The Devil and Miss Jones
A Girl, a Guy, and a Gob
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A Girl, a Guy, and a Gob
That Hamilton Woman
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That Hamilton Woman
Penny Serenade
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Penny Serenade
A Woman's Face
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A Woman's Face
The Strawberry Blonde
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The Strawberry Blonde
Back Street
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Back Street
The Lady Eve
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The Lady Eve
The Great Dictator
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The Great Dictator
The Letter
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The Letter
Fantasia
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Fantasia
Arizona
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Arizona
Kitty Foyle
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Kitty Foyle
Second Chorus
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Second Chorus
May 31, 1941 Trivia
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The Story of May 31, 1941

On May 31, 1941, the Indianapolis 500 saw a dramatic finish as driver Wilbur Shaw crashed while leading the race, creating a tense atmosphere at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where around 160,000 fans gathered.

Inventions & Breakthroughs of May 1941

Gadgets, lab surprises, odd bets, and future-shocks from this slice of the calendar.

1 Programmable Digital Computer (Z3)
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Programmable Digital Computer (Z3)
2 Microwave Radar System
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Microwave Radar System
3 Electric Guitar Solid Body
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Electric Guitar Solid Body
4 Polyethylene Insulation Cable
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Polyethylene Insulation Cable
5 Military Jeep
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Military Jeep
6 Automated Bomb Sight
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Automated Bomb Sight
7 Infrared Sniperscope
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Infrared Sniperscope
8 Mass Penicillin Production
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Mass Penicillin Production
9 Color Television Broadcast System
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Color Television Broadcast System
10 Electric Eye Door Systems
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Electric Eye Door Systems

The Sounds of

Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year

HEADLINES ON May 31, 1941

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Exploring Javanese Culinary Traditions. Impact: The fascination with Javanese appetites leads to a global culinary revolution, ultimately resulting in the rise of food influencers who take pictures of their avocado toasts in trendy cafes around the world. Thanks, Ed!. Fact: Did you know that the word 'Java' is now more commonly associated with coffee than the island itself? Welcome to the future of branding!.
  • Headline: Dramatic Victory at Indianapolis 1941. Impact: The thrilling race at Indianapolis inspires countless movie plots, leading to a genre where cars drive faster than bullets, and the term 'fast and furious' becomes a cultural phenomenon. Thanks for the chaos, Shaw!. Fact: Did you know that the Indianapolis 500 is often referred to as 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing'? Well, if you can ignore the fact that it’s just cars going in a circle for hours..
  • Headline: MRS. LOUIS E. WATERMAN. Impact: Mrs. Louis E. Waterman's name fades into obscurity, but generations later, her descendants accidentally become reality TV stars, proving once again that fame is often just a matter of bad choices.. Fact: Did you know that being a housewife back in the day meant you were basically the CEO of your household? Talk about a demanding job with zero vacation days!.
  • Headline: Oleska Withdraws From Open. Impact: Oleska's withdrawal from the Open causes a ripple effect that leads to a series of 'dramatic' withdrawals in sports, culminating in a reality show about athletes who just can't commit.. Fact: Did you know that in sports, withdrawing often gets you more media attention than actually competing? It's the new way to win: just don't show up!.
  • Headline: JOSEPH :ARCHAIMBAUD'. Impact: Joseph Archaimbaud becomes a forgotten name in history, but his legacy is ironically preserved in a bizarre conspiracy theory suggesting he was actually a time traveler who invented the time machine.. Fact: Did you know that the name 'Archaimbaud' sounds like a fancy French dish? Too bad it’s just another name lost in the annals of history..
  • Headline: NEW YORK TEAMS BEATEN; Bow to Boston and Philadelphia in Women's Lacrosse Tourney. Impact: New York teams losing leads to the formation of countless motivational posters that proclaim 'It’s not whether you win or lose, but how you look while losing.' The art of losing gracefully is born.. Fact: Did you know that women's lacrosse was once considered an elite sport? Now it's just a way to get sunburned while pretending to be athletic!.
  • Headline: JUDGE BANS A HOG RANCH; California Court Rules Pig Smell Is a Nuisance.

Wall Street Time Machine

The Right Call: If you'd invested $1,000 in any one of these companies in 1941, here's what the stored 2025 dataset estimates.
Rank #1
PG
Procter & Gamble
Price in 1941
$0.25
2025 dataset value
$586,657

Procter & Gamble - If you invested $1,000 in 1941, it would be worth $586,657 today (586.7x return)

Rank #2
KMB
Kimberly-Clark
Price in 1941
$0.69
2025 dataset value
$147,887

Kimberly-Clark - If you invested $1,000 in 1941, it would be worth $147,887 today (147.9x return)

🦸 Top 5 Comics
Captain America Comics #1
Captain America Comics #1
$2,000,000
All Star Comics #8
All Star Comics #8
$1,000,000
Detective Comics #58
Detective Comics #58
$10,200
Green Lantern #1
Green Lantern #1
$250,000
More Fun Comics #73
More Fun Comics #73
$2,500
🧸 Top 5 Toys
Tinkertoys
Tinkertoys
$150.00
Crayola Crayons
Crayola Crayons
$50.00
Lincoln Logs
Lincoln Logs
$120.00
Red Ryder Bb Gun
Red Ryder Bb Gun
$300.00
Yoyo
Yoyo
$4,100.00
⚾ Top 5 Trading Cards
Propaganda War Cards
Propaganda War Cards
$250,000
Turf Cigarettes 'Hidden Beauties'
Turf Cigarettes 'Hidden Beauties'
$11.00
Zemann VzornΓ© Praha 1941
Zemann VzornΓ© Praha 1941
Unknown
War Gum Cards
War Gum Cards
$800
Chocolat Jacques Historical Figures
Chocolat Jacques Historical Figures
$2,000