JULY 20, 1949

WEDNESDAY
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
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 Fountainhead
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The Fountainhead
The Barkleys of Broadway
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The Barkleys of Broadway
The Big Steal
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The Big Steal
The Window
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The Window
Knock on Any Door
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Knock on Any Door
Mighty Joe Young
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Mighty Joe Young
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 Lady Gambles
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The Lady Gambles
The Great Sinner
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The Great Sinner
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

July 20, 1949 Trivia

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Exact-date daily brief

July 20, 1949

On July 20, 1949, the employees at Singer, a prominent sewing machine manufacturer, prepared to vote on a unionization effort, marking a significant moment in labor relations during a time of rising union influence in the American...

Inventions & Breakthroughs of July 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 July 20, 1949

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Singer Employees Union Vote Announcement. Impact: If the Singer employees had voted for the union, it could have set off a chain reaction leading to the rise of a fashion empire that prioritizes worker rights over profit, resulting in a world where 'The Devil Wears Prada' would be a documentary instead of a comedy. Fact: Did you know that sewing machines were once considered the iPhones of their time? Everyone wanted one, but no one knew how to use it properly!.
  • Headline: Lions Build City Project Launch. Impact: The Lions building their own city could have led to an unexpected shift in urban planning, causing all future cities to be themed around animals, giving rise to a new generation of architects obsessed with designing everything like a zoo. Fact: Fun fact: This 'city' would probably have had more lions than actual residents. Talk about a roaring good time!.
  • Headline: High Court Upholds Edison Rate Cuts. Impact: Maintaining cuts in light rates might have caused a paradox where everyone started using more electricity, leading to an energy crisis that spawned a cult of candle enthusiasts. Fact: Did you know that light bulbs were almost replaced by gas lamps? Imagine the number of fires we could have avoided if they had just stuck with the Edison model!.
  • Headline: CHINESE RED DRIVE IS GAINING IN SOUTH; 200,000 of Foe Face Trap on Canton-Hankow Rail Line -- Northwest Push Major One. Impact: As the Chinese Red drive gained momentum, it inadvertently inspired a worldwide trend of 'underdog' narratives in movies, leading to a cinematic universe where every villain is just misunderstood. Fact: Did you know that the Chinese Communist Party once had a whole committee dedicated to coming up with clever slogans? 'Join us or face the consequences!' was a fan favorite.
  • Headline: Bigger Food Output at Small Cost Seen by FAO Head on a World Trip; MORE WORLD FOOD SEEN CHEAPLY WON. Impact: FAO’s push for bigger food output at low cost could have easily led to the invention of instant ramen, resulting in a worldwide obsession with cheap, quick meals and a generation of people who can't cook. Fact: Did you know that if all the food produced were actually eaten, world hunger would have been solved, but then we wouldn't have had the chance to enjoy our pizza delivery?.
  • Headline: CHINA REDS BATTLE UNDERGROUND FOES; 'Bandit Suppression' Drives Begun in Lung-Hai Railway and Lake Tai Regions. Impact: The battle against underground foes might have set off a series of underground movements worldwide, leading to the rise of secret societies dedicated to knitting and crochet as a form of rebellion. Fact: Did you know that the term 'bandit suppression' makes it sound like they were just trying to stop some really aggressive street performers?.
  • Headline: Ex-Premier Reynaud Tells the Abetz Jury Former Envoy Hated Him, Blum and Mandel. Impact: Reynaud’s accusations could have sparked a secret society of former politicians who conspired to create a new political party based solely on grievances and vendettas. Fact: Did you know that political grudges are often older than the politicians themselves? Talk about holding onto baggage!.
  • Headline: Soviet Asserts Czars Hid Facts on Great Inventions. Impact: The Soviet assertion might have led to a worldwide movement to uncover hidden inventions, resulting in a reality show where contestants compete to find lost ideas – think 'Survivor' meets 'MythBusters'. Fact: Did you know that the Soviets claimed they invented everything from the wheel to the smartphone? Next, they'll say they invented sliced bread!.
  • Headline: FILM STRIKE LOOMS; Processors for Newsreels and Movies May Walk Out. Impact: If the film strike loomed large enough, it could have birthed independent filmmakers who started making movies on their smartphones, leading to a decade of terrible low-budget horror films. Fact: Did you know that the last time there was a significant film strike, the resulting movies were so bad they became cult classics? Maybe a strike isn’t such a bad idea after all!.
  • Headline: BRITAIN CORRECTS DOCK BOARD UKASE; Rejects Implied Risk of Loss of Labor Gains if Men Are Not Back on Job Tomorrow. Impact: The dock board's warning could have led to a labor revolt where dock workers became the new superheroes, fighting for their rights and creating an underground economy of dockside justice. Fact: Did you know that dock workers once attempted to unionize with nothing but fishing rods and a dream? Spoiler alert: it didn't end well.

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