FEBRUARY 26, 1942

THURSDAY
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 26, 1942 Trivia

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Exact-date daily brief

February 26, 1942

On February 26, 1942, the Lehigh Valley Railroad reported a significant financial loss of $297,485 for January, in stark contrast to a net income of $200,989 for the same month the previous year. The railroad's revenues stood at $...

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 26, 1942

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Lehigh Valley Reports Major Deficit. Impact: The deficit led to a series of questionable financial decisions, ultimately resulting in the invention of the 'Lehigh Valley Financial Wizard'β€”an imaginary figure who supposedly made all the money disappear. This myth inspired countless comedy routines about railroad finances. Fact: Fun fact: The Lehigh Valley's financial woes are a great reminder that even railroads can derailβ€”just like your New Year’s resolutions.
  • Headline: Alice Marble's War Work Shoes Showcase. Impact: The introduction of sturdy Oxford shoes for women led to a silent revolution in footwear, where women began wearing them more than men, eventually resulting in the creation of the first all-female shoe company named 'Sturdy & Sassy.'. Fact: Did you know that Alice Marble didn't just design shoes? She also invented the idea of 'dressing for success'β€”which, back then, meant simply wearing something that didn't smell like the front lines.
  • Headline: BIDS SCHOOLS GIVE WORLD-WIDE VIEW; Dr. Carr of N.E.A. Says Interdependence Should Be Taught, With War in Forefront ATLANTIC CHARTER A TOPIC Dr. F.W. Hart Tells California Convention Students Need a National Service Course. Impact: This push for a more globally aware education system inadvertently led to the rise of international student exchange programs, where students traded in their textbooks for cultural cuisineβ€”because who needs history when you have tacos?. Fact: Fun fact: Teaching kids about interdependence is like trying to explain how to share a pizzaβ€”everyone wants their slice, but nobody wants to admit they took the last piece!.
  • Headline: LEGION WILL AID POLICE; Plan Calls for Service as Guards From 8 P.M. to Midnight. Impact: The American Legion's decision to aid police led to an unexpected spike in late-night bingo games, as veterans took to guarding the streets and turning them into social events. This ultimately caused a nationwide bingo craze in the 1950s. Fact: Did you know that the American Legion's late-night watch was less about crime prevention and more about ensuring no one stole the last slice of pizza during their nightly meetings?.
  • Headline: $140 Essay Prizes at Hunter. Impact: The introduction of a $140 prize for essays sparked a nationwide trend where students began writing increasingly ridiculous essays, leading to the eventual creation of the 'Worst Essay' contestβ€”a prestigious event today. Fact: Fun fact: Back then, $140 was considered a fortune. These days, it's just enough to cover your coffee addiction for a week.
  • Headline: ASKS FOR INQUIRY ON DRYS; Sweeney Tells House E.P. Gaston Uses Government Services. Impact: Sweeney's inquiry turned into a full-blown investigation, which later inspired the creation of the 'Dry Society', where members traded their water bottles for suspiciously labeled moonshine. Who knew prohibition could lead to underground cocktail parties?. Fact: Did you know that the only thing drier than prohibition was the sense of humor of those trying to enforce it?.
  • Headline: COE MANNING BAIRD; Verona, N. J., Portrait Painter, 57, Worked for Federal Project. Impact: Baird's legacy as a portrait painter for federal projects led to a nationwide obsession with self-portraits, resulting in the infamous 'selfie' craze of the 21st centuryβ€”where everyone thinks they’re a masterpiece. Fact: Fun fact: Baird probably never envisioned that one day his work would inspire people to take pictures of their lunch instead of sitting for a portrait.
  • Headline: SOLDIERS NOW AIM TO MARRY IN HASTE; Legal Aid Says They Waste No Time When Girls Say 'Yes'. Impact: The rush to marry led to a series of hastily written vows that would later inspire romantic comedies about love in wartimeβ€”because nothing says 'I love you' like a wedding planned in under an hour. Fact: Did you know that these quickie marriages often produced the phrase 'married in haste, repenting at leisure'? Truly, a classic tale of military romance gone wrong.

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