FEBRUARY 17, 1942

TUESDAY
1942 Coca-Cola advertising artwork
$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
Show screen release and event cards
1 Mrs. Miniver
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Mrs. Miniver
2 Random Harvest
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Random Harvest
3 Yankee Doodle Dandy
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Yankee Doodle Dandy
4 Reap the Wild Wind
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Reap the Wild Wind
5 Road to Morocco
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Road to Morocco
6 Holiday Inn
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Holiday Inn
7 Wake Island
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Wake Island
8 The Pride of the Yankees
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The Pride of the Yankees
9 Kings Row
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Kings Row
10 For Me and My Gal
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For Me and My Gal
The Man Who Came to Dinner
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The Man Who Came to Dinner
Woman of the Year
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Woman of the Year
The Maltese Falcon
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The Maltese Falcon
Citizen Kane
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Citizen Kane
The Wolf Man
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The Wolf Man
Suspicion
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Suspicion
Dumbo
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Dumbo
Sullivan's Travels
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Sullivan's Travels
Ball of Fire
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Ball of Fire
Shadow of the Thin Man
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Shadow of the Thin Man
Hellzapoppin'
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Hellzapoppin'

February 17, 1942 Trivia

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Exact-date daily brief

February 17, 1942

On February 17, 1942, the call for judicial reform intensified as the Judicial Council renewed its plea to end the controversial 'Blue Ribbon' jury panels. This day fell during World War II, a period marked by significant challeng...

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

The Sounds of

Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year

Headlines From February 17, 1942

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Robert J. McCloskey's Notable Contribution. Impact: If only Robert J. McCloskey had invented a time machine instead of just being a name in history, we might have had a much more exciting 20th century. Imagine the possibilities of a rogue historian wandering the streets of ancient Rome!. Fact: Did you know that Robert J. McCloskey was probably not related to the McCloskey family that runs your local diner? But wouldn't it be fun if he was?.
  • Headline: Judicial Council Presses for Jury System Reform. Impact: The push for jury reform led to an avalanche of court cases where juries were confused about what a 'blue ribbon' actually was. Spoiler: they thought it was some sort of prize for the best juror. Fact: Did you know that 'blue ribbon' panels were actually named after a prize-winning pie? That’s how serious legal decisions were made back then.
  • Headline: Surge in Tanker Rates Authorized. Impact: By allowing that surcharge, the Maritime Comm inadvertently set the stage for future shipping companies to charge extra for everything. Next thing you know, shipping costs more than the item itself!. Fact: Did you know that the first documented use of a surcharge was when someone tried to charge for extra cheese on a pizza? The maritime industry just took notes.
  • Headline: 40 FISHING SHIPS READY; Vessels to Go on Stagger Basis -- Strike Settlement Accepted. Impact: The end of the strike meant that fishing ships could go back to their regular schedule, allowing for a steady supply of fish and also leading to a global shortage of fish puns. Fact: Did you know that fishing ships on strike often held 'fishy' negotiations? They were just trying to reel in better contracts!.
  • Headline: CANDIDATES NAMED FOR ASSEMBLY SEATS; Morrissey and Gillmore Selected Here, Mrs. Gillen in Kings. Impact: The nomination of Morrissey and Gillmore paved the way for future candidates to be chosen based on their ability to smile convincingly and nod at the right moments. Fact: Did you know that political nominations were once decided by a game of rock-paper-scissors? At least that was more entertaining than today's processes!.
  • Headline: 'SPECIAL OFFERING' SOLD IN USUAL WAY; Inactive Stock Is Distributed on Exchange on First Day of New Marketing Rule. Impact: This 'special offering' may have been the start of the stock market's uncanny ability to pull the rug out from under investors' feet by offering 'great deals' that somehow turned sour. Fact: Did you know that the stock market often behaves like a cat? One moment it’s purring and the next it’s knocking your coffee off the table.
  • Headline: I. C. Rutter Joins the OPA. Impact: With I. C. Rutter at the OPA, the enforcement of price controls probably became a lot more entertaining, featuring surprise inspections that felt more like reality TV than economics. Fact: Did you know that the OPA once considered hiring clowns to make price controls more entertaining? Turns out, people just weren’t ready for juggling with their economics.

Wall Street Time Machine

The Right Call: A historical $1,000 investment comparison using the stored long-range dataset.
Rank #1
KMB
Kimberly-Clark
Price in 1942
$0.69
Stored 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
Stored 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