MAY 20, 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
In This Our Life
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In This Our Life
The Male Animal
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The Male Animal
My Favorite Blonde
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My Favorite Blonde
This Above All
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This Above All
Saboteur
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Saboteur
Larceny, Inc.
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Larceny, Inc.
The Ghost of Frankenstein
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The Ghost of Frankenstein
The Jungle Book
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The Jungle Book
Tarzan's New York Adventure
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Tarzan's New York Adventure
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'

May 20, 1942 Trivia

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Exact-date daily brief

May 20, 1942

On May 20, 1942, significant labor unrest was prominent as the Carnegie Institute faced a strike that halted power, marking the second day of picketing by engineers demanding wage increases. In a parallel story, an embezzler was g...

Inventions & Breakthroughs of May 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 May 20, 1942

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Rogalin Denies Fraud Allegations. Impact: Rogalin's denial sparked a chain reaction of mistrust in financial institutions, leading to the invention of the phrase 'Trust But Verify,' which ironically led to a decade where no one trusted anyone, including their own pets. Fact: Fun fact: Denying charges is basically the adult version of 'I didn’t do it!' That's how we got the phrase 'it wasn't me' popularized in 2000s pop culture.
  • Headline: Carnegie Institute Strike for Wage Increase. Impact: The strike at Carnegie Institute inspired a wave of labor movements that eventually led to the creation of the β€˜Union Hall of Fame,’ where every disgruntled worker could get a plaque for their picketing efforts. Ironically, attendance is always low. Fact: Did you know that the Engineers' picket signs were more creative than most modern protest signs? They actually had a sense of humor back then!.
  • Headline: Embezzlement Case: Suspended Sentence Granted. Impact: This leniency towards embezzlers caused a time paradox where banks became more lenient with their loan policies, leading to the rise of 'you'll get a loan, and you’ll get a loan, and you’ll get a loan!' mentality that fueled the 2008 financial crisis. Fact: The embezzler’s plan to return the funds was so optimistic, it could've been a plot for a feel-good movie. Spoiler alert: it didn't end well.
  • Headline: Frances Lynch Dies in South. Impact: Frances Lynch's passing marked a poignant moment in history, reminding future generations of the fragility of life and the importance of cherishing stories that might otherwise be forgotten. Her legacy lives on in the numerous histories written about influential women. Fact: Frances inspired countless biographies that began with 'In the South, where the biscuits are as warm as the hearts...'.
  • Headline: Small Plants Not Utilized; Serious Waste Is Seen of Facilities for Speeding War Production. Impact: The wasted resources resulted in a deep-seated paranoia about efficiency that would haunt industrial production for decades, ultimately leading to the invention of the 'lean' management philosophy, which is just corporate jargon for stressing everyone out about being productive. Fact: Ironically, the small plants ended up becoming the hipster microbreweries of the future, where waste was turned into artisanal 'eco-friendly' products.
  • Headline: STRIKES FEW IN STATE; Mediation Board Averted 30 in April, Meyer Reports. Impact: The mediation board's success at averting strikes led to the establishment of 'National Mediator Appreciation Day,' which, unsurprisingly, nobody celebrates because mediators are the unsung heroes of boredom. Fact: The phrase 'Let’s mediate' became the most dreaded words in meetings, right up there with 'Let’s circle back.'.
  • Headline: FREDERICK E. DUTCHER; Reporter 50 Years--One Story Won Him National Recognition. Impact: Dutcher's tale became the stuff of legends, inspiring generations of journalists to chase big stories, leading to the rise of sensationalist clickbait headlines that you see today. Thanks, Frederick. Fact: Dutcher's most famous story was about a cat stuck in a tree. It was groundbreaking journalismβ€”because the cat had a backstory.
  • Headline: SABOTEURS DYNAMITE RAILROAD IN FRANCE; Five Jews Shot in Paris Following Shooting and Blast. Impact: This tragic event deepened the scars of prejudice and led to increased tensions that would have devastating consequences for communities across Europe, shaping the course of history in ways still felt today. Fact: Events like these remind us of the darker chapters of history, and how the fight against intolerance is an ongoing battle, not just a footnote in history books.
  • Headline: 10 SENT TO PRISON FOR MILK RACKET; Head of Labor Union, Three Former Leaders Among the Conspirators Sentenced CHIEF GETS 15 TO 30 YEARS $2,500,000 Said to Have Been Extorted From Independent Dealers and Truckers. Impact: The milk racket scandal led to stricter regulations in dairy farming, resulting in lactose intolerance becoming a common excuse for avoiding awkward family dinners. Fact: The infamous dairy kingpin was actually known for his love of cheese, making him the most ironic villain in the history of dairy-related crime.

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