APRIL 20, 1956

FRIDAY
1956 Coca-Cola advertising artwork
$1,000 INVESTED IN COKE STOCK (KO) IN 1956
WOULD HAVE MADE YOU $4,480,150 IN THE 2025 DATASET
Min Wage Hourly$0.90
Median Home Price$10,100.00
Gas Price Avg$0.29
Bread Price Avg$0.19
Movie Ticket Avg$0.60
First Class Stamp$0.04
Milk Price Avg$0.93
Top Movies From 1956
Show screen release and event cards
1 The Ten Commandments
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The Ten Commandments
2 Around the World in 80 Days
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Around the World in 80 Days
3 Giant
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Giant
4 The King and I
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The King and I
5 Trapeze
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Trapeze
6 High Society
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High Society
7 War and Peace
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War and Peace
8 The Teahouse of the August Moon
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The Teahouse of the August Moon
9 The Searchers
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The Searchers
10 Anastasia
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Anastasia
Forbidden Planet
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Forbidden Planet
Carousel
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Carousel
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
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Invasion of the Body Snatchers
The Man Who Never Was
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The Man Who Never Was
The Court Jester
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The Court Jester
Patterns
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Patterns
The Conqueror
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The Conqueror
The Black Tent
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The Black Tent
The Indian Fighter
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The Indian Fighter
Rebel Without a Cause
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Rebel Without a Cause
Picnic
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Picnic
Guys and Dolls
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Guys and Dolls
The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell
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The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell
The Man with the Golden Arm
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The Man with the Golden Arm
I'll Cry Tomorrow
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I'll Cry Tomorrow
The Rose Tattoo
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The Rose Tattoo

April 20, 1956 Trivia

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Television On April 20, 1956
Lassie poster
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Lassie
Tony Awards poster
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Tony Awards
As the World Turns poster
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As the World Turns
Broken Arrow poster
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Broken Arrow
Hey, Jeannie! poster
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Hey, Jeannie!
Playhouse 90 poster
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Playhouse 90
State Trooper poster
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State Trooper
Telephone Time poster
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Telephone Time

Exact-date daily brief

April 20, 1956

On April 20, 1956, a significant expansion of the Senate's inquiry into military readiness was announced, which would now include investigations into the Navy and Marine Corps. This inquiry was a response to growing concerns about...

Inventions & Breakthroughs of April 1956

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

1 Hard Disk Drive (IBM 305 RAMAC)
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Hard Disk Drive (IBM 305 RAMAC)
2 Artificial Intelligence Program
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Artificial Intelligence Program
3 Microwave Oven (Home Model)
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Microwave Oven (Home Model)
4 Digital Clock
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Digital Clock
5 Underwater SCUBA Regulator
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Underwater SCUBA Regulator
6 Automatic Transmission Refinement
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Automatic Transmission Refinement
7 Medical Heart-Lung Machine
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Medical Heart-Lung Machine
8 Weather Satellite Blueprint
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Weather Satellite Blueprint
9 Computer Programming Language (FORTRAN)
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Computer Programming Language (FORTRAN)
10 Electric Can Opener Refinement
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Electric Can Opener Refinement

The Sounds of

Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year

Headlines From April 20, 1956

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Senate Expands Air Power Investigation. Impact: This inquiry led to a never-ending cycle of military spending debates, resulting in the 'Great Military Budget Wars' of the 21st century where politicians argue about air power like it's the latest iPhone feature. Fact: Senators have been probing air power for so long that some speculate they might start including discussions on how to best install a cup holder in fighter jets.
  • Headline: Malenkov's Rise and Molotov's Decline. Impact: Malenkov's rise led to a series of unfortunate events that culminated in the '60s, where the USSR's leadership decisions were akin to a game of musical chairs, but with a much higher stakes and no chairs. Fact: Molotov famously had a cocktail named after him, but it’s unclear if it was for his contributions to diplomacy or just because he threw a lot of parties.
  • Headline: 1965 Edgar Awards Celebrate Mystery Writers. Impact: The Edgar Awards became the Oscars for writers, sparking a dramatic increase in mystery writers feeling like they could solve their own financial problems by just writing about crimes they never committed. Fact: Winning an Edgar is like winning a lottery ticketβ€”except instead of money, you get a fancy statue and a bunch of jealous writer friends.
  • Headline: THREE DENY QUINN AIDED TAX CASES; But Law Firm's Ex-Clients Say Checks Included Name of Former Representative Checks Are Identified Union Editor to Be Decorated. Impact: This case opened the floodgates for every disgruntled ex-client to come forward, leading to the creation of a new reality show titled 'Tax Fraud: The Ex-Client Chronicles.'. Fact: When it comes to tax cases, it's not just about the numbers; it’s also about the drama, and this could have been a top-rated soap opera.
  • Headline: EDITORS DEBATE PRESS RED HUNT; One Says Eastland Inquiry Perils Liberty, 2d Backs Right to Call Newsmen. Impact: This debate initiated a long-standing tradition of journalists being put on trial for doing their jobs, ensuring that every press conference would forever resemble a courtroom drama. Fact: The only thing less popular than a journalist at a political debate is a journalist who brings snacksβ€”because who cares about food when there's liberty to fight over?.
  • Headline: THEATRE COUNCIL ASKS N.L.R.B. RULE; Summer Stock Group Seeks to Bar Equity Increase in Minimum Wages Guild Sells Quarters. Impact: This little tussle over wages led to the infamous 'Summer Stock Revolts' where actors took to the streets, demanding not just better pay, but also better snacks in the green room. Fact: Actors Equity may sound like a financial term, but it's actually just a fancy way of saying they want to get paid more than the puppets they sometimes share the stage with.
  • Headline: CANADIAN UNITS TO TOUR; 2 Troupes of 'Players' to Give 4 Works in U.S. and at Home. Impact: This tour sparked an influx of Canadian content in the U.S., resulting in the eventual creation of a new genre: 'Hockey-themed musicals,' which would go on to confuse audiences everywhere. Fact: When Canadians tour the U.S., they always bring maple syrup. It's like a peace offering, or a way to sweeten the deal in case the performance goes awry.
  • Headline: STEVENSON CLOSES PENNSYLVANIA BID; Asks Democrats to Roll Up Big Primary Vote to Show Stand Against G.O.P.. Impact: Stevenson's plea echoed through time, leading to a future where political rallies became less about policies and more about who could scream the loudest into a microphone. Fact: Asking Democrats to roll up a big vote is a bit like asking cats to form a choirβ€”good luck getting them to agree on anything!.
  • Headline: Saratoga Surrogate Wins Case. Impact: This case marked a turning point in legal history, leading to a future where every legal battle could be settled by a game of rock-paper-scissors... or so some wishfully think. Fact: Surrogates may sound like a type of fancy coffee, but they actually handle some serious legal businessβ€”like solving disputes over who gets grandma's china.
  • Headline: TAPE RECORDERS FOR TV A BIG HIT; 73 Bought by Broadcasters in 4 Days After Unveiling at Chicago Convention Film Process Speeded Up. Impact: This purchase initiated an era where every broadcast journalist suddenly felt the need to record everything, leading to a future where even your grandma's stories could become a hit reality show. Fact: Buying 73 tape recorders is just one step away from broadcasting a live feed of a cat sleeping; because if it’s not on tape, did it really happen?.

Wall Street Time Machine

The Right Call: A historical $1,000 investment comparison using the stored long-range dataset.
Rank #1
PFE
Pfizer
Price in 1956
$0.15
Stored value
$168,691

Pfizer - If you invested $1,000 in 1956, it would be worth $168,691 today (168.7x return)

Rank #2
JNJ
Johnson & Johnson
Price in 1956
$0.06
Stored value
$3,433,939

Johnson & Johnson - If you invested $1,000 in 1956, it would be worth $3,433,939 today (3433.9x return)

Rank #3
PG
Procter & Gamble
Price in 1956
$0.25
Stored value
$586,657

Procter & Gamble - If you invested $1,000 in 1956, it would be worth $586,657 today (586.7x return)

🦸 Top 5 Comics
Adventures of Jerry Lewis #86
Adventures of Jerry Lewis #86
$10.00
Showcase #4
Showcase #4
$95,000
Action Comics #220
Action Comics #220
$10,200
Uncle Scrooge #10
Uncle Scrooge #10
$200
Batman #100
Batman #100
$100
🧸 Top 5 Toys
Mr. Potato Head
Mr. Potato Head
$250.00
Play-Doh
Play-Doh
$150.00
Hula Hoop
Hula Hoop
$150.00
Matchbox Cars
Matchbox Cars
$100.00
Pogo Stick
Pogo Stick
$20.00
⚾ Top 5 Trading Cards
1956 Topps Mickey Mantle
1956 Topps Mickey Mantle
$120,000
1956 Topps Al Kaline
1956 Topps Al Kaline
$350,000
1956 Topps Willie Mays
1956 Topps Willie Mays
$250,000
1956 Parkhurst Doug Harvey
1956 Parkhurst Doug Harvey
$0
1956 Spic and Span Milwaukee Braves Hank Aaron
1956 Spic and Span Milwaukee Braves Hank Aaron
$2,000