MARCH 21, 1942

SATURDAY
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
To Be or Not to Be
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To Be or Not to Be
Woman of the Year
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Woman of the Year
The Male Animal
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The Male Animal
The Ghost of Frankenstein
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The Ghost of Frankenstein
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'

March 21, 1942 Trivia

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Exact-date daily brief

March 21, 1942

On March 21, 1942, the War Production Board (WPB) announced a significant reduction in the use of metal for manufacturing beds, a move aimed at conserving 100,000 tons of iron and steel as part of the nation's wartime efforts. Thi...

Inventions & Breakthroughs of March 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 March 21, 1942

Full News Archive

  • Headline: War Production Board Cuts Metal for Beds. Impact: This decision led to an unexpected rise in the popularity of inflatable mattresses, which would later become the preferred choice for college students, leading to a generation of back pain and questionable life choices. Fact: Did you know that the term 'metal bed' now refers to both a bed frame and a terrible decision made during a sleepover?.
  • Headline: Mr. Casey's Mission in Australia. Impact: Mr. Casey's journey inadvertently inspired a series of Australian soap operas, where characters dramatically discuss their feelings about the 'other front' over shrimp on the barbie. Fact: Fun fact: Australia has so many 'fronts' that it's practically a multi-dimensional war zone of emotions.
  • Headline: Swope Leads New Turf Committee Initiative. Impact: This committee's formation turned horse racing into a major charity event, leading to the bizarre spectacle of horses wearing tiny helmets and capes, ultimately inspiring superhero movies. Fact: Horse racing was once a noble sport until it became a spectacle for rich folks to wear fancy hats and drink overpriced mint juleps.
  • Headline: SCIENTIST, DIES,; Famous as Naturalist, Author and Founder of the U. S. Biological Survey A COLLECTOR AT AGE OF 12 Yellowstone Survey Expert at 16Smithsonian Institute Associate for Years. Impact: His passing marked a pivotal moment in the scientific community, leading to a surge in interest in natural history that could only be rivaled by the rise of social media influencers in the animal kingdom. Fact: His life was a testament to the idea that you can be a collector of bugs and still make a significant impact. Take that, hoarders!.
  • Headline: Yale Swimmers Take Four Titles As Intercollegiate Meet Starts; Hueber, Penn, Wins 50-Yard Race to Prevent Eli Sweep -- Dannenbaum, Chouteau, Cook and Medley Trio Triumph for Blue. Impact: The rivalry sparked by this meet led to an annual tradition of Yale students demanding better swim facilities, resulting in a campus-wide shortage of chlorine and an unexpected surge in rubber duck sales. Fact: Did you know that swimming titles are essentially just fancy certificates for getting wet in style?.
  • Headline: CONSERVATION PLEA AT FLOWER SHOW; Jersey Pine Barrens Display Urges Public Ownership of East's Biggest Wildland IT WINS ANOTHER AWARD Honored by National Council of State Garden Clubs -- War Value Stressed. Impact: This plea triggered a conservation movement that led to the rise of garden gnomes as protectors of nature, eventually turning them into the unofficial mascots of environmentalism. Fact: Garden gnomes were originally created to scare away evil spirits, but now they just scare away people who can’t take a joke.
  • Headline: $. ALFIED L. MKEN. Impact: This cryptic name led to a series of conspiracy theories about a hidden treasure, which turned out to be just a sock drawer that had never been cleaned out since the 70s. Fact: Sometimes, the most enigmatic headlines are just the result of poor editing and a lack of spell-check.
  • Headline: Londoners Rush to Get Suits With 13 Pockets. Impact: This trend of excessive pockets led to the eventual rise of the 'man purse,' which confused generations and sparked debates over masculinity and practicality. Fact: If you ever wondered why some people carry around bags that resemble small suitcases, it's because they took this pocket situation too seriously.
  • Headline: Books of the Times. Impact: This phrase is so vague that it inspired a thousand book clubs to form, resulting in more wine consumption than actual reading, and the birth of the term 'book hangover.'. Fact: Books were once considered a luxury, but today they’re often just decorative items to make your coffee table look smart.
  • Headline: -- REV. DWO F. FA-CmR. Impact: The confusion over this headline led to an increased interest in clergy abbreviations, ultimately resulting in a new trend of religious acronyms that would baffle future generations. Fact: Acronyms can be so confusing that even the most dedicated historians sometimes need a decoder ring to figure out what they mean.

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