JANUARY 16, 1949

SUNDAY
1949 Coca-Cola advertising artwork
$1,000 INVESTED IN COKE STOCK (KO) IN 1949
WOULD HAVE MADE YOU $3,767,246 IN THE 2025 DATASET
Min Wage Hourly$0.71
Median Home Price$7,060.00
Gas Price Avg$0.26
Bread Price Avg$0.14
Movie Ticket Avg$0.44
First Class Stamp$0.03
Milk Price Avg$0.80
Top Movies From 1949
Show screen release and event cards
1 Samson and Delilah
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Samson and Delilah
2 Battleground
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Battleground
3 Jolson Sings Again
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Jolson Sings Again
4 Sands of Iwo Jima
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Sands of Iwo Jima
5 I Was a Male War Bride
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I Was a Male War Bride
6 Pinky
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Pinky
7 Mr. Belvedere Goes to College
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Mr. Belvedere Goes to College
8 Neptune's Daughter
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Neptune's Daughter
9 Little Women
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Little Women
10 Sorrowful Jones
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Sorrowful Jones
The Accused
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The Accused
A Letter to Three Wives
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A Letter to Three Wives
The Paleface
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The Paleface
The Snake Pit
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The Snake Pit
Rope
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Rope
Macbeth
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Macbeth
Portrait of Jennie
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Portrait of Jennie
Act of Violence
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Act of Violence
Joan of Arc
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Joan of Arc

January 16, 1949 Trivia

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Exact-date daily brief

January 16, 1949

On January 16, 1949, the financial markets showed signs of recovery, with reports indicating that buying activity had improved. Despite this positive outlook, buyers struggled to adhere to their budgets, suggesting a cautious opti...

Inventions & Breakthroughs of January 1949

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

1 Commercial Transistor Production
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Commercial Transistor Production
2 Jet Commercial Airliner
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Jet Commercial Airliner
3 Hydrogen Bomb Design
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Hydrogen Bomb Design
4 Magnetic Resonance Imaging Theory
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Magnetic Resonance Imaging Theory
5 Modern Credit Card Concept
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Modern Credit Card Concept
6 Anti-Lock Braking System Prototype
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Anti-Lock Braking System Prototype
7 Artificial Intelligence Theory
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Artificial Intelligence Theory
8 Polyester Fabric
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Polyester Fabric
9 Portable Television
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Portable Television
10 High-Speed Photocopier
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High-Speed Photocopier

The Sounds of

Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year

Headlines From January 16, 1949

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Market Report: Buying Outlook Improves. Impact: This headline spawned a secret society of frugal buyers who meet in basements to discuss the ancient art of sticking to a budget. Their motto? 'Save a penny, ruin the economy!'. Fact: In 2023, the average American spends nearly 120% of their income. So, sticking to a budget is basically a myth, like unicorns.
  • Headline: Cantelli's NBC Symphony Debut. Impact: Cantelli's debut led to a time loop where conductors began to argue about the correct tempo of life itself. Spoiler: it’s always faster than you think. Fact: Conductors often practice in front of mirrors. They say it’s to ensure they look good, but we all know they just want to see themselves lead an orchestra of their own egos.
  • Headline: Frank K. Kelly's 'An Edge of Light'. Impact: Frank K. Kelly's book inspired a generation of writers to think they could also produce a best-seller in three easy stepsβ€”none of which involve actual talent. Fact: The phrase 'an edge of light' was so catchy that it was later used by every motivational speaker in history. Thanks, Frank!.
  • Headline: NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE FIELD OF TRAVEL. Impact: The HMS Caronia's visit triggered a series of travel companies to create the 'Caronia Experience,' which is basically just sitting in a bathtub with a drink and pretending you’re on a cruise. Fact: Traveling in the early 20th century often meant packing a trunk the size of a small car. Modern travelers just pack existential dread in a carry-on.
  • Headline: DREISER: AMERICAN ICONOCLAST; A Scholarly Biography Revalues His Long, Storm-Wracked Career. Impact: Dreiser's biography led to a resurgence of American iconoclasts who now think wearing berets and sipping espresso makes them misunderstood geniuses. Spoiler: it doesn't. Fact: Dreiser was known for his tumultuous life, which basically means he was just a normal person who wrote great books and had the same number of existential crises as the rest of us.
  • Headline: PUERTO RICO HOST TO GEN. MARSHALL; He Flies From Pinehurst Home to Rest After Operation -- May Stay Some Weeks. Impact: General Marshall's operation vacation in Puerto Rico made it the go-to destination for all military leaders seeking post-surgery rest. Now, 'Operation Relaxation' is a thing. Fact: Puerto Rico has more history per square mile than many countries. So, if you’re ever bored, just look at a wall; it probably has a fascinating story.
  • Headline: Our Foreign Policy; Consolidation of Power Urged Among Law-Abiding Nations. Impact: Coudert's call for consolidation among law-abiding nations gave rise to a secret alliance of boring diplomats who meet to discuss how to be even more law-abiding. Riveting stuff. Fact: The phrase 'law-abiding nations' sounds great until you realize it basically just means everyone who doesn't commit felonies. So, basically, everyone who isn't an international spy.
  • Headline: Liberia Loses Radio Parley Vote. Impact: Liberia's loss in the radio parley vote led to a series of unfortunate events, culminating in a global shortage of good radio jokes. A real tragedy for comedy. Fact: Radio parley votes are like high school popularity contests, except nobody gets a crown, just a lot of awkward silence on the airwaves.

Wall Street Time Machine

The Right Call: A historical $1,000 investment comparison using the stored long-range dataset.
Rank #1
JNJ
Johnson & Johnson
Price in 1949
$0.06
Stored value
$3,433,939

Johnson & Johnson - If you invested $1,000 in 1949, it would be worth $3,433,939 today (3433.9x return)

Rank #2
PG
Procter & Gamble
Price in 1949
$0.25
Stored value
$586,657

Procter & Gamble - If you invested $1,000 in 1949, it would be worth $586,657 today (586.7x return)

Rank #3
KMB
Kimberly-Clark
Price in 1949
$0.69
Stored value
$147,887

Kimberly-Clark - If you invested $1,000 in 1949, it would be worth $147,887 today (147.9x return)

🦸 Top 5 Comics
Vault of Horror #12
Vault of Horror #12
$1,500
All-Negro Comics #1
All-Negro Comics #1
$85
Adventure Comics #252
Adventure Comics #252
$1,500
Captain America Comics #71
Captain America Comics #71
$1,200
Joe Palooka Comics #55
Joe Palooka Comics #55
$150
🧸 Top 5 Toys
LEGO Bricks
LEGO Bricks
$300.00
Silly Putty
Silly Putty
$75.00
The Buzzy Bee
The Buzzy Bee
$150.00
Candy Land
Candy Land
$50.00
Clip-Clop the Harness Horse
Clip-Clop the Harness Horse
$150.00
⚾ Top 5 Trading Cards
1949 Bowman Jackie Robinson
1949 Bowman Jackie Robinson
$250,000
1949 Leaf Satchel Paige
1949 Leaf Satchel Paige
$228,000
1949 Bowman Stan Musial
1949 Bowman Stan Musial
$30,000
1949 Bowman Duke Snider
1949 Bowman Duke Snider
$30,000
1949 Leaf Babe Ruth
1949 Leaf Babe Ruth
$89,175