MAY 1, 1944

MONDAY
1944 Coca-Cola advertising artwork
$1,000 INVESTED IN COKE STOCK (KO) IN 1944
WOULD HAVE MADE YOU $5,386,846 IN THE 2025 DATASET
Min Wage Hourly$0.48
Median Home Price$5,360.00
Gas Price Avg$0.22
Bread Price Avg$0.11
Movie Ticket Avg$0.36
First Class Stamp$0.03
Milk Price Avg$0.66
Top Movies From 1944
Show screen release and event cards
1 Going My Way
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Going My Way
2 Meet Me in St. Louis
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Meet Me in St. Louis
3 Since You Went Away
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Since You Went Away
4 Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
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Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
5 The Story of Dr. Wassell
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The Story of Dr. Wassell
6 The White Cliffs of Dover
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The White Cliffs of Dover
7
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A Guy Named Joe
8 Hollywood Canteen
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Hollywood Canteen
9 To Have and Have Not
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To Have and Have Not
10 Bathing Beauty
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Bathing Beauty
Lifeboat
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Lifeboat
The Uninvited
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The Uninvited
The Sullivans
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The Sullivans
Cover Girl
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Cover Girl
The Fighting Seabees
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The Fighting Seabees
The Purple Heart
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The Purple Heart
Buffalo Bill
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Buffalo Bill
Wing and a Prayer
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Wing and a Prayer
Destination Tokyo
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Destination Tokyo
The Song of Bernadette
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The Song of Bernadette
Lassie Come Home
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Lassie Come Home
Jane Eyre
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Jane Eyre
Madame Curie
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Madame Curie
The Gang's All Here
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The Gang's All Here

May 1, 1944 Trivia

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Exact-date daily brief

May 1, 1944

On May 1, 1944, Mayor's proposal for comprehensive health insurance for workers made headlines in the city. The plan aimed to provide all-inclusive coverage to individuals earning up to $5,000 annually, with the cost set at 4% of...

Inventions & Breakthroughs of May 1944

Gadgets, lab surprises, odd bets, and future-shocks from this slice of the calendar.

1 Harvard Mark I Computer
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Harvard Mark I Computer
2 Artificial Heart Valve
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Artificial Heart Valve
3 Jet-Powered Fighter Aircraft
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Jet-Powered Fighter Aircraft
4 Plastic Syringe
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Plastic Syringe
5 Digital Fire Control Radar
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Digital Fire Control Radar
6 Penicillin Tablet
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Penicillin Tablet
7 Submarine Sonar Improvements
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Submarine Sonar Improvements
8 Time-Delay Fuse
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Time-Delay Fuse
9 Aircraft Ejection Seat
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Aircraft Ejection Seat
10 Magnetic Recording Wire Improvements
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Magnetic Recording Wire Improvements

The Sounds of

Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year

Headlines From May 1, 1944

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Mayor's Health Insurance Proposal for Workers. Impact: If this health plan had actually worked, it might have led to a healthier workforce, causing a 20% increase in productivity. Instead, it was just another political stunt, leading to a nationwide epidemic of 'political fatigue' in the workforce. Fact: Did you know that 4% of $5,000 is a whopping $200? Yeah, good luck finding anyone who can live on that while they try to pay for health insurance!.
  • Headline: Historic Polo Match: U.S. vs. Argentina. Impact: This loss ignited a rivalry that would eventually lead to U.S. polo players adopting Argentinian fashions, resulting in a shocking spike in beret sales across the States. The fashion industry never saw it coming. Fact: Fun fact: After this match, U.S. polo teams were required to practice wearing berets to 'embrace the spirit of competition.'.
  • Headline: Carroll H. Gardner, Notable Engineer, Passes Away. Impact: Carroll H. Gardner's passing not only closed a chapter in engineering history but also meant the world lost one less person who could explain how to properly fix a rotary phone. The struggle continues. Fact: Did you know that West Point graduates are trained to lead in battle? Too bad they don’t teach how to avoid dying of old age!.
  • Headline: GEN. M'ARTHUR'S WITHDRAWAL. Impact: MacArthur's withdrawal was a key moment that set off a series of events leading to 'overzealous military strategizing', which has since become a popular pastime in countless boardrooms worldwide. Fact: Did you know that MacArthur's withdrawal was so anticipated that it was the original inspiration for the phrase 'I’m outta here'?.
  • Headline: 2-PLATOON FIRE SYSTEM; Department Begins 12-Hour Day on Staten Island Today. Impact: The introduction of the 2-platoon fire system led to the eventual development of the 'Firefighter Nap Time' program, which has since become a popular wellness initiative across various emergency services. Fact: Did you know that a 12-hour day can feel like 24 hours if you're putting out fires? Literally.
  • Headline: Canol Oil Refinery Is Opened; $130,000,000 Work Aids Alaska; REFINERY OPENED IN CANOL PROJECT. Impact: The opening of the Canol Oil Refinery not only aided Alaska but also sparked the great 'Oily Handshake Incident' of 1978, where politicians and oil tycoons tried to shake hands without getting grease everywhere. Fact: Fun fact: $130 million in 1942 is equivalent to approximately $2.2 billion today. So, basically, they could've built an oil empire or purchased a lot of donuts.
  • Headline: Monsanto Strike Is Ended. Impact: The Monsanto strike was so short that it became the blueprint for future 'micro-strikes', where workers would protest for mere hours, just to maintain their reputation while still getting to brunch on time. Fact: Did you know that one-day strikes were so rare that people actually thought it was a new dance move? The 'Monsanto Shuffle' never really caught on.
  • Headline: CITY AIRPORT HELD KEY CENTER IN WAR; 500 Ocean Crossings Listed at La Guardia Field in Month by Transport Command MEN AND CARGO CONVEYED Average of 17 Flights Made Daily -- New Commander Is Named by the Army. Impact: LaGuardia Field's designation as a key center in wartime transport meant that soon, airports everywhere would start claiming they were the 'best airport for military operations', leading to some very confused travelers. Fact: Did you know that during this time, average daily flights were about as frequent as your neighbor's unsolicited advice? And just as annoying.
  • Headline: w'rrJT.- H. ELIWOR'J[. Impact: Ellsworth's contributions to theater were so monumental that his death inadvertently sparked a wave of dramatic monologues in the living rooms of aspiring actors everywhere, most of which were poorly received. Fact: Did you know that playwrights often have drama in their lives? Ironically, it seems to be the only thing that keeps them employed!.
  • Headline: SA FORREST, 73, A STAGE DIRECTOR; I Rssociate of Cohan & H'arrisI for 25 Years DiesHad I I Also*Been a Playwright I. Impact: Sam Forrest's passing meant the loss of yet another theatrical innovator, and thus the world lost a chance for more mediocre plays that would have otherwise graced high school auditoriums everywhere. Fact: Did you know that being a stage director is basically like herding cats, but with more drama and fewer litter boxes?.

Wall Street Time Machine

The Right Call: A historical $1,000 investment comparison using the stored long-range dataset.
Rank #1
CVX
Chevron
Price in 1944
$0.31
Stored value
$474,914

Chevron - If you invested $1,000 in 1944, it would be worth $474,914 today (474.9x return)

Rank #2
GE
General Electric
Price in 1944
$0.62
Stored value
$487,500

General Electric - If you invested $1,000 in 1944, it would be worth $487,500 today (487.5x return)

Rank #3
PFE
Pfizer
Price in 1944
$0.15
Stored value
$168,691

Pfizer - If you invested $1,000 in 1944, it would be worth $168,691 today (168.7x return)

🦸 Top 5 Comics
Action Comics #63
Action Comics #63
$1,500
Detective Comics #87
Detective Comics #87
$10,200
Captain Marvel Adventures #35
Captain Marvel Adventures #35
$1,500
Marvel Mystery Comics #54
Marvel Mystery Comics #54
$2,500
Wonder Woman #8
Wonder Woman #8
$2,000
🧸 Top 5 Toys
Silly Putty
Silly Putty
$150.00
Army Men
Army Men
$150.00
Marble Set
Marble Set
$150.00
Tiddlywinks
Tiddlywinks
$150.00
Jigsaw Puzzle
Jigsaw Puzzle
$200.00
⚾ Top 5 Trading Cards
Mutoscope Pin-Up Girls
Mutoscope Pin-Up Girls
$3,000
Stamps from the V-Mail Victory Collection
Stamps from the V-Mail Victory Collection
$250,000
British Wartime Utility Furniture Card
British Wartime Utility Furniture Card
$500
Civil Defense Educational Card
Civil Defense Educational Card
$250,000
German WWII Propaganda Card
German WWII Propaganda Card
$250,000