AUGUST 15, 1945

WEDNESDAY
1945 Coca-Cola advertising artwork
$1,000 INVESTED IN COKE STOCK (KO) IN 1945
WOULD HAVE MADE YOU $3,985,747 IN THE 2025 DATASET
Min Wage Hourly$0.53
Median Home Price$5,700.00
Gas Price Avg$0.22
Bread Price Avg$0.12
Movie Ticket Avg$0.38
First Class Stamp$0.03
Milk Price Avg$0.69
Top Movies From 1945
Show screen release and event cards
1 The Bells of St. Mary's
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The Bells of St. Mary's
2 Leave Her to Heaven
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Leave Her to Heaven
3 Spellbound
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Spellbound
4 The Valley of Decision
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The Valley of Decision
5 Anchors Aweigh
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Anchors Aweigh
6 Week-End at the Waldorf
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Week-End at the Waldorf
7 Thrill of a Romance
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Thrill of a Romance
8 The Lost Weekend
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The Lost Weekend
9 State Fair
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State Fair
10 National Velvet
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National Velvet
The Southerner
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The Southerner
The Picture of Dorian Gray
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The Picture of Dorian Gray
Objective, Burma!
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Objective, Burma!
The Great Flamarion
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The Great Flamarion
The Body Snatcher
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The Body Snatcher
The Corn is Green
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The Corn is Green
Tonight and Every Night
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Tonight and Every Night
Brewster's Millions
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Brewster's Millions
The Naughty Nineties
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The Naughty Nineties
Wonder Man
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Wonder Man
The Clock
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The Clock
To Have and Have Not
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To Have and Have Not
Meet Me in St. Louis
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Meet Me in St. Louis
Murder, My Sweet
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Murder, My Sweet
Ministry of Fear
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Ministry of Fear
House of Frankenstein
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House of Frankenstein
The Thin Man Goes Home
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The Thin Man Goes Home
The Suspect
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The Suspect

August 15, 1945 Trivia

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Exact-date daily brief

August 15, 1945

On August 15, 1945, Japan announced its unconditional surrender, effectively ending World War II. This day marked a significant turning point in global history, as the defeat of Japan concluded a conflict that had claimed millions...

Inventions & Breakthroughs of August 1945

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

1 Atomic Bomb
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Atomic Bomb
2 Microwave Oven
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Microwave Oven
3 Programmable Electronic Computer (ENIAC)
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Programmable Electronic Computer (ENIAC)
4 Artificial Satellite Concept
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Artificial Satellite Concept
5 Freeze-Drying Food
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Freeze-Drying Food
6 Ultrasound Medical Imaging Concept
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Ultrasound Medical Imaging Concept
7 Magnetic Core Memory
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Magnetic Core Memory
8 Mass Production Radar
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Mass Production Radar
9 Electric Hearing Aid Miniaturization
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Electric Hearing Aid Miniaturization
10 Pressurized Aircraft Cabin Standards
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Pressurized Aircraft Cabin Standards

The Sounds of

Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year

Headlines From August 15, 1945

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Launch of Mystery Book Department. Impact: The launch of a mystery book department led to an unforeseen spike in amateur sleuthing, resulting in a global boom of overly ambitious detectives in every coffee shop. Little did they know, this would lead to the eventual rise of the β€˜true crime’ podcast empire. Fact: A mystery book department? How original! Next, they’ll launch a department for β€˜books about books’—I can hardly wait.
  • Headline: Radar Technology for Merchant Shipping. Impact: The use of radar on merchant ships inadvertently led to an increase in pirate-themed parties, as people mistook β€˜radar detection’ for an invitation to dance with danger. Who knew radar could bring out the swashbuckler in everyone?. Fact: Radar? That’s just a fancy way of saying β€˜we can see you before you see us’—perfect for avoiding awkward encounters on the high seas!.
  • Headline: Third Fleet Shoots Down Five Japanese Planes. Impact: Adm Halsey’s decision to shoot down planes in a 'friendly fashion' sparked a series of misunderstandings, leading to a bizarre trend where nations started sending each other balloons instead of missiles, believing it to be a peace offering. Fact: Shooting down planes in a friendly manner? Sounds like the world’s worst game of β€˜tag’. Spoiler alert: no one wins.
  • Headline: AIR MIGHT CLINCHED BATTLE OF JAPAN; Unprecedented Feat in History of Warfare Brought Island Empire to Its Kness Major Work of "Superforts" Navy's Role Tactical Plane Keeps Improving. Impact: The unprecedented air might during the Battle of Japan led to the development of a new genre of military-themed video games, where players could bomb fictional oil works without any consequencesβ€”because why not?. Fact: Clenching the battle with air might? Sounds like someone had too much caffeine before writing that headline.
  • Headline: POLICEMEN BAG BIG GAME; That Is They Shoot Man's Pet, a Bear That Grows Vicious. Impact: The shooting of a pet bear by police sparked an ironic trend in pet ownership, leading to a dramatic decline in bear adoptions and a surge in popularity for less dangerous pets, like goldfish. Spoiler: they still bite. Fact: Who knew police were into wildlife control? Next up, they’ll be giving lectures on β€˜how to keep your pet bear from becoming a problem’.
  • Headline: MISS DIAN GETS APPEAL; Sister of Pilot Hero Is Asked for Data on Missing Flier. Impact: Miss Dian’s quest for information about her missing flier brother ignited a series of soap opera-style investigations that would lead to several dramatic television shows in the following decades. Because missing persons need a dramatic backstory, right?. Fact: Seeking information about missing persons? That's basically the plot of every mystery novel ever. Where’s my royalty check?.
  • Headline: O'DWYER HONORED AT UNION DINNER; Testimonial First Indication That Liberals May Face Labor Revolt on Goldstein CANDIDATE ASKS FOR UNITY He Warns Against Losing the Peace and Thus the War by Schisms at Home Belsky Not at Dinner Declinations Not Unexpected Deadline Friday at 5 P.M.. Impact: O'Dwyer’s call for national unity inadvertently led to an obsession with team-building retreats across the nation, with companies spending millions on trust falls and awkward icebreakers instead of solving actual problems. Fact: Unity after a war? Sounds like a great way to avoid discussing the real issuesβ€”like why we’re still stuck in this meeting!.

Wall Street Time Machine

The Right Call: A historical $1,000 investment comparison using the stored long-range dataset.
Rank #1
GE
General Electric
Price in 1945
$0.62
Stored value
$487,501

General Electric - If you invested $1,000 in 1945, it would be worth $487,501 today (487.5x return)

Rank #2
PFE
Pfizer
Price in 1945
$0.15
Stored value
$168,691

Pfizer - If you invested $1,000 in 1945, it would be worth $168,691 today (168.7x return)

Rank #3
JNJ
Johnson & Johnson
Price in 1945
$0.06
Stored value
$3,433,942

Johnson & Johnson - If you invested $1,000 in 1945, it would be worth $3,433,942 today (3433.9x return)

🦸 Top 5 Comics
Marvel Mystery Comics #55
Marvel Mystery Comics #55
$3,500
Captain America Comics #42
Captain America Comics #42
$4,000
Detective Comics #98
Detective Comics #98
$10,200
Superman #36
Superman #36
$500
Action Comics #88
Action Comics #88
$1,500
🧸 Top 5 Toys
Silly Putty
Silly Putty
$25.00
Magic 8-Ball
Magic 8-Ball
$50.00
Slinky
Slinky
$50.00
Tinkertoy
Tinkertoy
$150.00
Yo-yo
Yo-yo
$1350.00
⚾ Top 5 Trading Cards
Kellogg's Pep Cereal War Picture Card #35: Aircraft Spotter Cards
Kellogg's Pep Cereal War Picture Card #35: Aircraft Spotter Cards
$200.00
Cantarini Picture Series (Italian)
Cantarini Picture Series (Italian)
$250,000
Japanese Sanko Card Game
Japanese Sanko Card Game
$0
Mickey Mouse Wartime Ration Token
Mickey Mouse Wartime Ration Token
$260,000
Leaf Strip Film Stars Set
Leaf Strip Film Stars Set
$3,000