APRIL 1, 1942

WEDNESDAY
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'

April 1, 1942 Trivia

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Exact-date daily brief

April 1, 1942

On April 1, 1942, Kansas City made headlines as it elected a reform-minded mayor, marking a decisive defeat of the Pendergast political machine that had influenced the city for years. This election was significant during a time wh...

Inventions & Breakthroughs of April 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 April 1, 1942

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Kansas City Elects Reform Mayor 1942. Impact: This pivotal election sent shockwaves through the political landscape, prompting future mayors to adopt increasingly creative campaign strategies. Who knew a reform-minded mayor could inspire a TikTok challenge decades later?. Fact: Did you know that the Pendergast machine was so entrenched that it made organized crime look like a neighborhood bake sale? Good luck trying to reform that!.
  • Headline: Anti-Axis Cartoons for Russian Relief. Impact: These cartoons became the first instance of art being used as a weapon in the war, leading to a future where memes are treated as serious political commentary. Thanks, anti-Axis artists!. Fact: For just $15, you could own a piece of history! Or a caricature of a dictator – same difference, right?.
  • Headline: Wardens on Horseback To Ride in Westchester. Impact: This led to the rise of horseback wardens becoming a niche hobby for the elite, ultimately resulting in the creation of the 'Equestrian Patrol' reality TV series. Who wouldn't want to watch that?. Fact: Because nothing says 'crime prevention' quite like a guy on a horse. Next up: wardens on unicycles!.
  • Headline: G. FRANK UNDERWOOD. Impact: The mere mention of Underwood's name would later inspire writers to create characters who are morally ambiguous, leading to a Hollywood obsession with antiheroes. Thanks, Frank!. Fact: No, not that Frank Underwood. This one probably didn’t have a Netflix series dedicated to his political scheming. But wouldn’t that have been something?.
  • Headline: LABOR LEADER SENTENCED; Took $100,000 From Union and Bronx County Landlords. Impact: The sentencing of this labor leader sent ripples through unions, prompting leaders to be more transparent about their finances, which ultimately led to the 'Union Transparency Act' – because money laundering is so last century. Fact: It's amazing to think that for $100,000, one could buy a small yacht or a labor leader's integrity. Tough choice!.
  • Headline: [ARTHUR MODLTON, NOTED AS BUILDER; Ex-A[de of Thompson-Starrett Co., Who Put Up Equitable Building Here, Is Dead ON GRAND COULEE' PROJECT Also Supervised Construction of Camp at Yaphank and Plant at Nitro, W. Va.. Impact: Moulton's contributions to construction led to the rise of modern engineering, inspiring generations of builders. However, it also led to a world filled with construction sites and never-ending roadwork. Thanks, Arthur!. Fact: Moulton's work was so influential that it’s rumored he once built a bridge out of toothpicks. Okay, maybe that's a stretch, but you get the idea!.
  • Headline: Victory Drive Must Have $1-a-Year Men, Farish, Standard Oil Head, Tells Senators. Impact: Farish's push for $1-a-year men created a new benchmark for corporate responsibility, leading to the eventual rise of internships where people work for exposure. Thanks a lot, Farish!. Fact: Working for a dollar a year? Sounds like the perfect job for someone who wants to spend their time in a corporate office while living off ramen noodles!.

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