OCTOBER 20, 1949

THURSDAY
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
My Friend Irma
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My Friend Irma
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
White Heat
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White Heat
The Barkleys of Broadway
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The Barkleys of Broadway
The Heiress
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The Heiress
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
In the Good Old Summertime
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In the Good Old Summertime
Mighty Joe Young
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Mighty Joe Young
Thieves' Highway
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Thieves' Highway
Madame Bovary
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Madame Bovary
The Red Pony
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The Red Pony
The Stratton Story
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The Stratton Story
Come to the Stable
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Come to the Stable
Home of the Brave
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Home of the Brave
Love Happy
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Love Happy
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
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The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
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
It's a Great Feeling
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It's a Great Feeling
The Great Sinner
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The Great Sinner
The Hasty Heart
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The Hasty Heart
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

October 20, 1949 Trivia

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Exact-date daily brief

October 20, 1949

On October 20, 1949, significant political maneuvers transpired as Polish diplomat Jerzy Lozoraitis visited Cardinal Francis Spellman in New York, indicating a growing interest in Catholic diplomacy amidst Cold War tensions. In Cz...

Inventions & Breakthroughs of October 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 October 20, 1949

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Lozoraitis's Historic Meeting with Spellman. Impact: This seemingly mundane meeting between Lozoraitis and Spellman set off a series of diplomatic exchanges that ultimately led to a global trend of politicians visiting each other's homes for coffee. Now, international diplomacy is just a series of awkward brunches. Fact: Did you know that Lozoraitis once tried to bring Spellman a fruitcake as a peace offering? Spoiler: it didn't help.
  • Headline: Czechs Oust Leaders of State Industries. Impact: The ousting of these officials sparked a chain reaction that led to the rise of underground sports leagues in Czechia. Now, instead of watching the national teams, citizens are betting on who can throw a potato the farthest. Fact: Fun fact: The first underground sports league was formed right after this event, and it involved a lot less paperwork and a lot more potatoes.
  • Headline: Snyder Defends Gold Price Stability. Impact: Snyder's stubbornness about the gold price not only kept the economy stable but also inspired a new generation of gold enthusiasts to start treasure hunting. Little did they know, they were just digging up their backyards. Fact: Did you know that Snyder once tried to convince Congress to change the gold price using interpretive dance? Spoiler: it didn't work.
  • Headline: CHICAGO FARE RISE STANDS; Writ Overruling Lower Court's Cancellation Is Granted. Impact: The decision to uphold the fare rise led to an increase in public transportation complaints, which in turn inspired the creation of the world's first anti-fare-hike protest song. Spoiler alert: it was terrible. Fact: Did you know that the fare rise meant some Chicagoans had to give up their daily latte? Now that's real sacrifice!.
  • Headline: SCHOOL FUTURE DISCUSSED; Editor Tells Chicago Convention Problems Are Communities'. Impact: The discussion about school futures led to the establishment of countless committees that met endlessly to discuss problems, with absolutely no resolution in sight. It’s like a never-ending episode of a bad sitcom. Fact: Did you know that B Fine's proposal for new teachers resulted in a nationwide shortage of chalk? Teachers were suddenly the most sought-after commodity in America.
  • Headline: GLAD INDIA LACKS BOMB. Impact: This statement led to an unexpected trend in global nuclear disarmament initiatives, as countries started to feel competitive about who could be the least likely to blow things up. Now that's some healthy rivalry. Fact: Did you know that 'Glad India Lacks Bomb' was almost the title of a hit pop song? It didn't make the charts, but the sentiment was appreciated.
  • Headline: JERSEY TEST FARM CUTS LABOR 35 P. C.; Banker's Project Results in 'Cowfeteria,' New Machinery, Findings on Fertilizer. Impact: The advent of the 'Cowfeteria' revolutionized farming and led to a nationwide obsession with cattle dining experiences. Yes, it became a thing where cows have better dining options than some humans. Fact: Did you know that the term 'Cowfeteria' was inspired by a typo? Originally, they wanted to call it 'Cafeteria' but decided to embrace the pun instead.
  • Headline: CLOSE HARMONIOUS; Foreign Arms Measure Also Voted -- President, Leaders Cite Gains. Impact: This vote led to a surprising rise in amateur diplomats, as citizens mistakenly believed they could influence foreign policy by debating arms measures over coffee. Spoiler alert: they couldn't. Fact: Did you know that the 'Close Harmonious' meeting was so harmonious, it was rumored that they almost broke out into song? Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed.
  • Headline: HOLD-UP MAN USES VICTIM AS SHIELD; Marches Him 2 Blocks Through Garment Area, Then Vanishes in Subway With $4,000. Impact: This brazen act shifted the focus of crime in the area, prompting stores to hire 'human shields' for protection. It became the weirdest job application process ever. Fact: Did you know that the victim was later hired as a consultant for personal safety? Sometimes, your worst day can turn into a surprisingly lucrative career.

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