FEBRUARY 9, 1942

MONDAY
$1,000 INVESTED IN COKE STOCK (KO) IN 1942
WOULD HAVE MADE YOU $8,968,676 IN THE 2025 DATASET
Min_Wage_Hourly: $0.39
Median_Home_Price: $4,680.00
Gas_Price_Avg: $0.20
Bread_Price_Avg: $0.10
Movie_Ticket_Avg: $0.33
First_Class_Stamp: $0.03
Milk_Price_Avg: $0.61
Top Movies From 1942
1 Mrs. Miniver
Learn More
Mrs. Miniver
2 Random Harvest
Learn More
Random Harvest
3 Yankee Doodle Dandy
Learn More
Yankee Doodle Dandy
4 Reap the Wild Wind
Learn More
Reap the Wild Wind
5 Road to Morocco
Learn More
Road to Morocco
6 Holiday Inn
Learn More
Holiday Inn
7 Wake Island
Learn More
Wake Island
8 The Pride of the Yankees
Learn More
The Pride of the Yankees
9 Kings Row
Learn More
Kings Row
10 For Me and My Gal
Learn More
For Me and My Gal
The Man Who Came to Dinner
Learn More
The Man Who Came to Dinner
Woman of the Year
Learn More
Woman of the Year
The Maltese Falcon
Learn More
The Maltese Falcon
Citizen Kane
Learn More
Citizen Kane
The Wolf Man
Learn More
The Wolf Man
Suspicion
Learn More
Suspicion
Dumbo
Learn More
Dumbo
Sullivan's Travels
Learn More
Sullivan's Travels
Ball of Fire
Learn More
Ball of Fire
Shadow of the Thin Man
Learn More
Shadow of the Thin Man
Hellzapoppin'
Learn More
Hellzapoppin'
February 9, 1942 Trivia
Multiple choice - Sign in to save + leaderboard - View all-time leaderboard
Score: 0 / 0
All-time leaderboard
Your results
The Story of February 9, 1942

On February 9, 1942, the American public was captivated by the news of Robert Lehman, a prominent financier and philanthropist, who made headlines for donating a yacht to benefit the Navy during World War II.

Inventions & Breakthroughs of February 1942

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

1 Atomic Reactor (Chicago Pile-1)
Learn More
Atomic Reactor (Chicago Pile-1)
2 Electronic Countermeasures Systems
Learn More
Electronic Countermeasures Systems
3 Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus
Learn More
Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus
4 Modern Rocket Engine
Learn More
Modern Rocket Engine
5 High-Altitude Pressure Suit
Learn More
High-Altitude Pressure Suit
6 Amphibious Landing Craft
Learn More
Amphibious Landing Craft
7 Synthetic Rubber (GR-S)
Learn More
Synthetic Rubber (GR-S)
8 Automatic Analog Computer
Learn More
Automatic Analog Computer
9 Magnetic Mine Detection
Learn More
Magnetic Mine Detection
10 Portable Field Radio
Learn More
Portable Field Radio

The Sounds of

Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year

HEADLINES ON February 9, 1942

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Robert Lehman's Generous Yacht Donation. Impact: When Robert Lehman donated a yacht to the navy, it inadvertently inspired a whole generation of rich folks to start naming their boats after their pets. Thanks, Robert, for the plethora of 'S.S. Fluffy's' sailing the high seas today.. Fact: Did you know that yachts are basically floating mansions? So, when someone says they 'live on a yacht,' it's just their way of saying they have commitment issues..
  • Headline: JAMES HANLEY, 49; WROTE SONG HITS; 2,000,000 Copies of His 'Back Home in Indiana' Soldls $tr. lcken in Queens HE DID TUNES FOR SHOWS i'll You Knew Susie,' Rose of Washington Square" and 'Just a Cottage Small' His Work. Impact: James Hanley's success with 'Back Home in Indiana' inadvertently gave birth to an entire genre of nostalgia-driven pop hits, leading to countless artists reminiscing about places they’ve never even been.. Fact: Fun fact: 'Back Home in Indiana' is actually the unofficial anthem for anyone trying to escape their hometown but failing miserably..
  • Headline: SIGNALS FROM BATAAN. Impact: The signals from Bataan became the precursor to all those dramatic movie montages where a soldier receives a last-minute message in the nick of time. Thanks, Bataan, for making us cry in theaters.. Fact: These signals were so powerful they could probably send Morse code to a pigeon in a hurricane. Talk about reliable communication!.
  • Headline: Member of Fire Patrol Dies. Impact: The death of a fire patrol member led to a new law mandating firefighters to wear capesβ€”because if you're going to save lives, you might as well do it in style.. Fact: Firefighters are basically real-life superheroes, but with way more hose and a lot less spandex..
  • Headline: IRG F. STEPLER. Impact: Irving F. Stepler's headline is a reminder that sometimes, the most impactful contributions are the ones you never hear about, which makes us wonder: what exactly did he do? Perhaps he invented the paperclip?. Fact: You know you're a big deal when your name pops up in the news without any context. It's like being famous for existing..
  • Headline: Topics of The Times. Impact: Topics of The Times focusing on women's physical measurements inadvertently sparked the modern body positivity movement. Thanks for the pressure, society!. Fact: Women’s measurements have changed so much over the decades, even tape measures are confused. It's a miracle if they don't just throw their hands up in despair..
  • Headline: French Make Dresses Of Waste Human Hair. Impact: The French making dresses from waste human hair led to a bizarre fashion trend where everyone suddenly wanted to wear their friend's hair. Talk about a 'hair-raising' experience!. Fact: If you think wearing human hair is weird, just remember: at least it’s not a trend in your high school yearbook photo. Now that's a real horror story..
  • Headline: MUSEUM VICTORY CONCERT; Ernest Hutcheson and Albert Stoessel Play Beethoven Works. Impact: The Museum Victory Concert established a tradition of combining high culture with casual enjoyment, paving the way for 'Beethoven on the Beach' events. Who knew classical music could be so... sandy?. Fact: Listening to Beethoven while lounging on a beach is the only time you can feel both cultured and completely out of place at the same time..

Wall Street Time Machine

The Right Call: If you'd invested $1,000 in any one of these companies in 1942, here's what the stored 2025 dataset estimates.
Rank #1
KMB
Kimberly-Clark
Price in 1942
$0.69
2025 dataset value
$147,887

Kimberly-Clark - If you invested $1,000 in 1942, it would be worth $147,887 today (147.9x return)

Rank #3
CVX
Chevron
Price in 1942
$0.31
2025 dataset value
$474,914

Chevron - If you invested $1,000 in 1942, it would be worth $474,914 today (474.9x return)

🦸 Top 5 Comics
Wonder Woman #1
Wonder Woman #1
$25,000
All Star Comics #11
All Star Comics #11
$3,000
Captain America Comics #13
Captain America Comics #13
$20,000
Hit Comics #27
Hit Comics #27
$10,200
Detective Comics #66
Detective Comics #66
$1,500
🧸 Top 5 Toys
Inflatable Airplane
Inflatable Airplane
$120.00
Tin Soldiers
Tin Soldiers
$75.00
Simple Wooden Blocks
Simple Wooden Blocks
$75.00
Yo-Yo
Yo-Yo
$1350.00
Silhouette Jigsaw Puzzles
Silhouette Jigsaw Puzzles
$25.00
⚾ Top 5 Trading Cards
War Gum (1942)
War Gum (1942)
$2,000
Gill'S Cigarette Cards - Military Series
Gill'S Cigarette Cards - Military Series
$20
British Wartime Stamps
British Wartime Stamps
$10,000,000
Canada War Savings Stamps
Canada War Savings Stamps
$2,000
Ration Card Series
Ration Card Series
$1,000