Prices in 1943[]
- A brand new house: $3,600 (down from $3,770)
- Average yearly income: $2,000 (up from $1,880)
- A new car: $900 (down from $920)
- Average Rent: $40 per month (up from $35 per month)
- A gallon of Gas: 15 cents (no change, however Gas Rationing is in effect)
Literature[]
Antoine de Saint-Exupery publishes "Le Petit Prince" ("The Little Prince"), the most famous French children's novel. It is quickly translated into English by Katherine Woods.
Ayn Rand publishes "The Fountainhead", her first major successful literary work.
Movies[]
Music[]
1943 was notable in music for many rising stars such as the Andrews Sisters, Bing Crosby, and Frank Sinatra.
In the month of January, "There Are Such Things" by Stanley Adams, Abel Baer, and George W. Meyer, was recorded by Tommy Dorsey's orchestra, and reached number one on the charts. Another famous recording was sung by Frank Sinatra. Listen to it here
"I Had the Craziest Dream" was written by Harry Warren, the lyrics by Mack Gordon. The song was published in 1942 and was featured in the movie "Springtime in the Rockies". Harry James recorded a popular version of it that reached number one in the month of February. Listen to it here
In March through May, "I've Heard That Song Before" was the number one hit. It was written in 1942 by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn, and was featured in the movie "Youth on Parade." It was recorded by Harry James and his Orchestra with Helen Forrest on vocal on July 31, 1942. Listen to it here
Also in March, the smash hit musical "Oklahoma!" by the famous duo Rodgers and Hammerstein debuted, running for over 2000 performances. This begins a collaboration that produces some of the most famous musicals on Broadway.
"That Old Black Magic" was a hit for Glenn Miller in May. The music was written by Harold Arlen, with the lyrics by Johnny Mercer, and it has become a long-running standard, covered by Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and others. Listen to it here
In June, "Taking a Chance on Love" reached number one, a song from the 1940 musical "Cabin in the Sky." It was re-recorded by Benny Goodman, featuring Helen Forrest. Listen to it here
In the month of July, "Comin' in on a Wing and a Prayer" by The Song Spinners reached number one.
In the month of September and throughout October, "Sunday, Monday or Always" reached number one with a pair of recordings by both Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. Listen to it here
In October, "Pistol Packin' Mama" by Al Dexter (written in 1942) was re-recorded by Bing Crosby and the Andrew Sisters and reached number one in the charts. Listen to it here
In November, "Paper Doll", a 1915 song written by Johnny S. Black, reached number one with a recording by the Mills Brothers. Its number one spot lasted well into the beginning of 1944. Listen to it here
December 2 saw the release of "Carmen Jones" on Broadway (controversial in that it had an all-black cast, similar to other musicals such as the 1940 musical "Cabin in the Sky").
People[]
Science and Technology[]
Nikola Tesla dies on January 7th.
May 17 - The United States Army contracts with the University of Pennsylvania's Moore School to develop the ENIAC.
Development of the Colossus computer by British to break German encryption.
Abraham Maslow proposes the Hierarchy of Needs theory of psychology in his paper "A Theory of Human Motivation".