DECEMBER 26, 1942

SATURDAY
$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
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
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 Black Swan
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The Black Swan
The Talk of the Town
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The Talk of the Town
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
The Spoilers
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The Spoilers
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
Cat People
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Cat People
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
I Married a Witch
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I Married a Witch
The Ghost of Frankenstein
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The Ghost of Frankenstein
The Big Street
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The Big Street
Bambi
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Bambi
Now, Voyager
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Now, Voyager
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
Flying Tigers
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Flying Tigers
The Glass Key
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The Glass Key
Gentleman Jim
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Gentleman Jim
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
To the Shores of Tripoli
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To the Shores of Tripoli
The Mummy's Tomb
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The Mummy's Tomb
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'
December 26, 1942 Trivia
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The Story of December 26, 1942

On December 26, 1942, U.

Inventions & Breakthroughs of December 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 ON December 26, 1942

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Munda Air Raid: 24 Enemy Planes Downed. Impact: The destruction of those planes not only weakened the Japanese air force but also led to the U.S. investing heavily in aviation technology. This eventually resulted in the creation of flying cars, which ironically still can't avoid traffic.. Fact: Interestingly, every time a plane gets shot down, a new conspiracy theory about UFOs gets born. So thank you, enemy planes!.
  • Headline: Utilities Face Increased Federal Regulations. Impact: Increased federal control over utilities post-war led to the creation of today's bureaucratic nightmares. Who knew that regulating electricity would lead to endless phone calls on hold?. Fact: Fun fact: the only thing more tangled than a utility company's red tape is the actual wiring in your homeβ€”good luck with that!.
  • Headline: PROF. DAVID B. LICHTY. Impact: Prof. Lichty's contributions to academia inspired generations of students to think critically, which unfortunately led to a few too many conspiracy theorists in the wild.. Fact: The 'B' in Lichty's name stands for 'Brilliant'β€”obviously, because he had no choice but to be smart with a name like that!.
  • Headline: ABBOTT, COSTELLO TOP AT BOX OFFICE; Comedians Lead Screen Stars in the Motion Picture Herald Survey -- Gable Again 2d YEAR'S BEST FILMS LISTED Review Board Puts 'In Which We Serve' First, 'One of Our Aircraft Is Missing' Next. Impact: Abbott and Costello's popularity not only brought laughter during tough times but also led to the rise of comedic duos, setting unrealistic expectations for friendships everywhere.. Fact: Their best films were so good that they almost made people forget about the war. Almost. But who can resist a good laugh over a good crisis?.
  • Headline: GEORGE F. FERIAN. Impact: George F. Ferian’s legacy may not be well-remembered, but it reminds us that not every name needs to be in lights to leave an impactβ€”like that one guy you always forget at parties.. Fact: George F. Ferian: the name you didn't know you didn't know. He’s like the backup singer of historyβ€”always there, but never in the spotlight..
  • Headline: TWO DIE IN BOMBER CRASH; Two Others Are Hurt and One Escapes in Florida Mishap. Impact: The tragic loss of life in bomber crashes underscores the risks of war, ultimately leading to stricter safety regulations in aviation that might just save your life somedayβ€”unless you're on a red-eye.. Fact: Flying: the only thing riskier than letting your friend try to parallel park your car. And just like that, we still can't seem to get it right!.
  • Headline: COFFEE ALMOST KILLS MAN; It Boils Over as He Sleeps and Extinguishes Gas Flame. Impact: The near-death experience of this man serves as a reminder that kitchen disasters can lead to serious consequences, inspiring countless safety campaigns in homes everywhere, yet still failing to prevent burnt toast.. Fact: Coffee: the only thing that can wake you up and almost kill you at the same time. Talk about a double shot of reality!.

Wall Street Time Machine

The Right Call: If you'd invested $1,000 in any one of these companies in 1942, here's what the stored 2025 dataset estimates.
Rank #1
KMB
Kimberly-Clark
Price in 1942
$0.69
2025 dataset 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
2025 dataset 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