MAY 8, 1956

TUESDAY
$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
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
The Harder They Fall
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The Harder They Fall
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 Eddy Duchin Story
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The Eddy Duchin Story
The Man Who Never Was
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The Man Who Never Was
The Court Jester
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The Court Jester
The Swan
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The Swan
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
May 8, 1956 Trivia
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Television On May 8, 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
Boomtown poster
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Boomtown
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
The Story of May 8, 1956

On May 8, 1956, the Socialist Labor Party made headlines by selecting its candidates for the upcoming elections, marking a significant moment in American politics as third parties began to assert their influence amid a two-party system.

Inventions & Breakthroughs of May 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 ON May 8, 1956

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Socialist Labor Party's 1956 Nominations. Impact: This moment sparked a time loop where every socialist party in history kept trying to outdo each other, leading to an infinite cycle of 'more socialism' that eventually resulted in a world where everyone receives a participation trophy.. Fact: E. Haas and Mrs. Cozzini are the original names behind the infamous 'What’s your platform?' question that haunts candidates to this day..
  • Headline: 3 OLD MILLS SOLD IN NEW ENGLAND; Milk Concern Takes One in East Boston--Lawrence Units for Industry. Impact: The sale of these mills initiated a trend where abandoned industrial sites became hipster coffee shops, which in turn led to a caffeine-fueled renaissance of artisanal pretentiousness.. Fact: This is how the phrase 'We only serve locally sourced, handpicked milk' was born. Thanks, old mills!.
  • Headline: REDS REBUFFED ON SAAR; Adenauer and Ney Reject Bid From East Germany. Impact: This rejection led to decades of East vs. West rivalry, resulting in the creation of countless spy novels and movies that perpetuated the myth that all spies were as suave as James Bond.. Fact: Adenauer and Ney's rejection was the original 'ghosting' move before it became a dating phenomenon..
  • Headline: ULLMAN LOSES PLEA; High Court Bars Rehearing on Contempt Conviction. Impact: This ruling set a precedent for countless legal battles over contempt, leading to future lawyers using the phrase 'I plead the fifth' more often than 'Hello' in court.. Fact: Ullman’s case is often cited in law schools as the ultimate example of 'How Not to Win Friends and Influence Judges.'.
  • Headline: LAUTNER COMPLETES STORY IN RED TRIAL. Impact: The conclusion of this trial not only fueled the anti-communist sentiment of the era but also inspired countless conspiracy theories that still circulate today, including the idea that all red pens are secretly communist.. Fact: Lautner's testimony is a reminder that sometimes the truth is stranger than fictionβ€”and way less entertaining..
  • Headline: Johnson to Remain Favorite Son Only; JOHNSON REJECTS NOMINATION RACE. Impact: Johnson’s refusal to run sparked a nationwide trend of politicians pretending to be humble, which continues to this day, resulting in endless photo ops of them feeding the homeless on election campaigns.. Fact: This is the moment when the phrase 'I’m just here to serve' was officially added to the politician's handbook..

Wall Street Time Machine

The Right Call: If you'd invested $1,000 in any one of these companies in 1956, here's what the stored 2025 dataset estimates.
Rank #1
PFE
Pfizer
Price in 1956
$0.15
2025 dataset 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
2025 dataset 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
2025 dataset 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