MAY 17, 1949

TUESDAY
$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
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
Act of Violence
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Act of Violence
Caught
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Caught
Down to the Sea in Ships
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Down to the Sea in Ships
Flamingo Road
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Flamingo Road
The Bribe
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The Bribe
A Letter to Three Wives
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A Letter to Three Wives
The Set-Up
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The Set-Up
Champion
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Champion
The Barkleys of Broadway
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The Barkleys of Broadway
The Window
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The Window
Knock on Any Door
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Knock on Any Door
The Red Pony
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The Red Pony
The Stratton Story
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The Stratton Story
Home of the Brave
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Home of the Brave
Gun Crazy
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Gun Crazy
Criss Cross
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Criss Cross
Impact
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Impact
The Paleface
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The Paleface
The Snake Pit
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The Snake Pit
Rope
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Rope
He Walked by Night
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He Walked by Night
Macbeth
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Macbeth
Portrait of Jennie
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Portrait of Jennie
Joan of Arc
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Joan of Arc
May 17, 1949 Trivia
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The Story of May 17, 1949

On May 17, 1949, Wichita Mayor returns to a city abuzz with excitement over local developments.

Inventions & Breakthroughs of May 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 ON May 17, 1949

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Wichita Mayor's International Visit. Impact: If Mayor Salome hadn't made that courtesy visit, Wichita could have ended up as the only city in America without an awkward relationship with France, leading to a bizarre future where baguettes never made it past the Mississippi.. Fact: Did you know that courtesy visits often involve more awkward small talk than actual diplomacy? Just imagine the awkwardness of discussing croissants over coffee..
  • Headline: India's Non-Alignment Policy Announced. Impact: India's decision to avoid aligning with power blocs meant fewer global alliances, leading to a timeline where international diplomacy is just a series of awkward brunches instead of serious negotiations.. Fact: Interesting fact: India’s non-alignment strategy is like saying, 'I’m not really into labels'β€”except with nuclear weapons..
  • Headline: Wollman Rink Gift to Central Park. Impact: This $600,000 gift created a recreational oasis, which inadvertently led to future generations of New Yorkers becoming overly competitive about ice skating, eventually resulting in the Winter Olympics being held in Central Park.. Fact: Did you know that $600,000 can buy a lot of ice? Or, you know, a very small piece of New York real estate?.
  • Headline: U.S. ENVOY WARNS KOREANs; ' International Conspiracy' Seeks Confusion, Muccio Says. Impact: This warning led to a chain of misunderstandings, eventually resulting in a future where every time someone trips over their shoelaces, they’re convinced it’s part of an international conspiracy.. Fact: Fun fact: The only thing more confusing than international relations is trying to explain why you can't find your other sock..
  • Headline: 10 CHILDREN'S TEARS SAVE FATHER IN COURT. Impact: The emotional outburst caused by the children's tears inadvertently led to the establishment of a new judicial precedent: 'The Crying Children Defense', allowing many parents to get away with all sorts of crimesβ€”until the kids become teenagers.. Fact: Fun fact: This moment proves that nothing is more persuasive than a child's tearsβ€”or a well-timed puppy video..
  • Headline: A LITTLE GIRL CUTS A BIG CAKE. Impact: This seemingly innocent cake-cutting event set off a series of bakery wars across the nation, leading to the creation of reality TV shows focused on cake decorating disasters, which still plague our screens today.. Fact: Did you know that cutting cake is one of the few times in life when it's socially acceptable to wield a knife and not get arrested?.
  • Headline: U. S. ASSAILS SOVIET FOR TRADE PATTERN; Porter Says Russians Exploit Satellite Lands for Own End -- Cites 'One-Way' Annexes U. S. ASSAILS SOVIET FOR TRADE PATTERN. Impact: The U.S. condemnation led to a global trade dance-off where nations competed to see who could best avoid trade agreements without stepping on each other's toes.. Fact: Fun fact: The term 'one-way annex' is just code for 'We take your resources, you take our complaints.'.
  • Headline: Elected Head of Jersey AP. Impact: The election of A.W. Smith marked the beginning of a long tradition of people in New Jersey being elected for things no one outside the state cares about, leading to a future where local politics becomes a bizarre spectator sport.. Fact: Did you know that New Jersey is the only state where you can be elected to a position just for being slightly less unpopular than the last guy?.
  • Headline: 2 Sentenced in Store Hold-Up. Impact: The sentencing of Kelly and Knapp sent shockwaves through the criminal underworld, leading to a sudden rise in the popularity of baking as a safer alternative to crime.. Fact: Interesting fact: Liquor store heists rarely lead to a successful career in crime. Most just end up with a long list of regrets and a bad rap sheet..

Wall Street Time Machine

The Right Call: If you'd invested $1,000 in any one of these companies in 1949, here's what the stored 2025 dataset estimates.
Rank #1
JNJ
Johnson & Johnson
Price in 1949
$0.06
2025 dataset 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
2025 dataset 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
2025 dataset 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