The Fourties
The Early to mid-Forties were dominated by World War II and following the end of the war, the start of the Baby Boomer Years, Technology advancements during wartime including the Jet Engine, Nuclear Fusion, Radar, Rocket Technology, and others later became the starting points for Space Exploration and Improved Air Travel.
Forties Inventions
The Year Invented Inventors and Country or attributed to First Use
45 rpm Record —– 1949 USA
Artificial Intelligence —– 1947 England by Alan Turing
Atomic Bomb —– 1945 USA by Robert Oppenheimer’s team
Atomic Power —– 1942 USA by Enrico Fermi’s team creating a first self-sustaining chain reaction
Aqualung —– 1943 France by J Cousteau and E Gagnon
Automation —– 1946 USA by Henry Ford
Computer —– 1948 England by Freddie William’s team
Guided Missile —– 1942 Germany by Werner von Braun
Hologram —– 1947 Hungary by Denis Gabor
Kidney Dialysis —– 1944 Netherlands by Willem Kolff
Long Playing Record LP —– 1948 USA made of vinyl and played at 33 rpm
Microwave Oven —– 1946 USA by Percy L Spencer
Mobile Phone —– 1947 USA
Transistor —– 1947 USA from Bell Laboratories
Velcro —– 1948 Switzerland by George de Mestral
Forties Money and Inflation
To provide an estimate of inflation we have given a guide to the value of $100 US Dollars for the first year in the decade to the equivalent in today’s money:
If you have $100 Converted from 1940 to 2020 it would be equivalent to $1843.64 today
In 1940 a new house cost $3,920.00 and by 1949 was $7,450.00
The average income per year was $1,725.00 and by 1949 was $2,950.00
A gallon of gas was 11 cents and by 1949 was 17 cents
The average cost of a new car was $850.00 and by 1949 was $1,420.00
A few more prices from the ’40s and how much things cost:
100 aspirin 76 cents
Philco Refrigerator $239.00
Pork Loin Roast per pound 45 cents
Nylon Hose 20 cents
New Emerson Bedroom Radio 1938 $19.65
Men’s Suits from $24.50
Portable electric heater $42.50
Ford Super Deluxe Sedan Coupe $1395
Forties Popular Culture
The late ’30s and the war in the '40s changed many things and one of those was how black sportsmen became popular heroes and paved the way for future generations, these included Joe Louis ( Boxer ), Jesse Owens ( Runner ), and Jackie Robinson ( Baseball Player ).
Some of the Most Well Known Movie Stars of the Forties
Clark Gable
Bob Hope
Bing Crosby
Humphrey Bogart
Abbott and Costello
Gary Cooper
Spencer Tracy
James Cagney
Forties Fashion
Practicality was of great essence during this time. Clothing was meant just to cover the body, and it was designed for the busy men and women involved in fighting or working during this time.
Forties Homes
Additional amenities of a Forties home would include items that are thought of as necessities by today’s building standards. For instance, a hot water heater, barbecue patio, double garage, and/or heating system would be included in the sale of a specific home. The exterior of a home built during this decade was often of red brick siding, and the interior home flooring was often of hardwood, just as it was in earlier decades. Other luxuries of homes included newly-installed roofing, kitchen cupboards, spacious rooms, and thermostat-controlled heat.
