DECEMBER 16, 1942

WEDNESDAY
$1,000 INVESTED IN COKE STOCK (KO) IN 1942
WOULD HAVE MADE YOU $8,968,676 IN 2025
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 By December 16, 1942
1 The Black Swan
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The Black Swan
2 The Man Who Came to Dinner
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The Man Who Came to Dinner
3 Road to Morocco
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Road to Morocco
4 Gentleman Jim
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Gentleman Jim
5 To the Shores of Tripoli
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To the Shores of Tripoli
6 Now, Voyager
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Now, Voyager
7 Flying Tigers
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Flying Tigers
8 Bambi
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Bambi
9 Fantasia
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Fantasia
10 Citizen Kane
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Citizen Kane
Kings Row
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Kings Row
The Palm Beach Story
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The Palm Beach Story
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 Talk of the Town
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The Talk of the Town
Mrs. Miniver
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Mrs. Miniver
The Male Animal
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The Male Animal
Reap the Wild Wind
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Reap the Wild Wind
My Favorite Blonde
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My Favorite Blonde
This Above All
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This Above All
The Spoilers
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The Spoilers
The Pride of the Yankees
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The Pride of the Yankees
Across the Pacific
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Across the Pacific
The Magnificent Ambersons
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The Magnificent Ambersons
The Pied Piper
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The Pied Piper
The Major and the Minor
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The Major and the Minor
Saboteur
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Saboteur
Larceny, Inc.
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Larceny, Inc.
Moontide
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Moontide
Yankee Doodle Dandy
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Yankee Doodle Dandy
I Married a Witch
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I Married a Witch
The Ghost of Frankenstein
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The Ghost of Frankenstein
Wake Island
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Wake Island
The Big Street
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The Big Street
Holiday Inn
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Holiday Inn
Tales of Manhattan
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Tales of Manhattan
The Moon and Sixpence
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The Moon and Sixpence
Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror
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Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror
The Glass Key
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The Glass Key
For Me and My Gal
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For Me and My Gal
The Jungle Book
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The Jungle Book
The Undying Monster
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The Undying Monster
Tarzan's New York Adventure
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Tarzan's New York Adventure
The Mummy's Tomb
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The Mummy's Tomb
The Maltese Falcon
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The Maltese Falcon
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'
December 16, 1942 Trivia
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The Story of December 16, 1942

On December 16, 1942, significant financial strides were reported in the United States' war funding efforts, with the RFC (Reconstruction Finance Corporation) announcing a remarkable increase in war funds, totaling $18 billion—50% more than earlier in the year.

🧠 Inventions of 1942

Breakthroughs and everyday innovations from the year.

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

The biggest hits of the year — Top 10 Pop & Country chart toppers

HEADLINES ON December 16, 1942

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Surge in RFC War Funding Announced. Impact: The massive increase in war funds not only fueled the WWII effort but also set the stage for the military-industrial complex. It's like they created a money printer with a 'limited edition' sticker!. Fact: By the end of the war, the RFC had contributed so much to the economy that it could probably have funded a small moon landing—too bad they were busy funding tanks instead!.
  • Headline: Early Stamp Buying Suggested by Postmaster. Impact: Goldman's suggestion to buy stamps early sparked a nationwide frenzy, leading to people hoarding stamps like they were toilet paper in 2020. Who knew postal preparedness could cause such chaos?. Fact: In an ironic twist, stamp collecting eventually became a popular hobby, turning the very items Goldman urged people to buy early into collector's items worth more than their weight in gold!.
  • Headline: Tough Club Honors Burchill. Impact: This honor solidified Burchill's status as a local hero, paving the way for future 'Tough Clubs'. Soon, every small town had its own Tough Club, leading to an explosion of mediocre steak dinners and bad jokes.. Fact: The Tough Club's motto might as well have been 'We lift heavy things and eat steak', which really sums up a lot of social gatherings, doesn't it?.
  • Headline: SOPRANO AT TOWN HALL; Marguerite McDonald Gives 2d Recital Here in 13 Years. Impact: McDonald's recital sparked a resurgence in local arts, resulting in towns across the country investing in cultural events. Who knew that one soprano could create a chain reaction of mediocre talent shows?. Fact: The last time McDonald performed, people brought their own snacks. This time, they remembered to bring earplugs!.
  • Headline: 'Ouch, It Hurts!' Some Say, Learning of 1943 Taxes. Impact: The shock of new taxes turned into a nationwide groan, leading to a series of anti-tax protests and the creation of the modern tax advisor. Thank you, 1943, for giving birth to the profession of tax evasion specialists!. Fact: Interestingly, the phrase 'Ouch, it hurts!' has been used ever since, primarily during tax season and when checking the balance of a checking account..
  • Headline: Loew's Again to Give Bonuses. Impact: Loew's bonuses became a tradition, resulting in an entire culture of 'bonus envy' where employees judged each other's bonuses more than their actual salaries. Don't worry, it didn’t lead to any office dramas or anything!. Fact: Rumor has it that the bonus announcement was really just a way to distract employees from the terrible coffee in the break room..
  • Headline: 17 OUT OF 19 DIE IN AIRLINER CRASH; One Marine and a Civilian Survive Fall of Westbound Craft in Utah CREW MEMBERS KILLED IN CRASH OF AIRLINER 17 OUT OF 19 DIE IN AIRLINER CRASH. Impact: This tragic event led to stricter aviation safety regulations, ultimately saving countless lives in the decades to come. Sometimes, it takes a tragedy for the wheels of progress to turn.. Fact: Ironically, this crash highlighted the need for better safety protocols, which, while somber, paved the way for today's stringent aviation safety standards..
  • Headline: DISBURSES RAIL TAXES; Jersey Controller Pays Out the Largest Share to Jersey City. Impact: Jersey City’s windfall from rail taxes led to a boom in infrastructure spending—just in time for the potholes to appear! Truly a cycle of urban renewal and decay.. Fact: It's said that the rail taxes were so large they could have funded a small country... or at least a really extravagant train-themed amusement park!.

Wall Street Time Machine

The Right Call: If you'd invested $1,000 in any one of these companies in 1942, here's what it would be worth in 2025.
Rank #1
KMB
Kimberly-Clark
Price in 1942
$0.69
Value in 2025
$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
Value in 2025
$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