Born in 1942
Turns 84 in 2026
Gifts for someone born in 1942
1942 Front PageTheir name. The news from their year.Unframed from $50.50Add their name
Their birth chartThe sky as astrology reads it, cast for one birth.Unframed from $50.50
The Years We Were BornThe whole family, together in years.Unframed from $50.50
Our Story timelineTheir life, told in your words.Unframed from $50.50
Front Page: Australia edition. The year is filled in; add their name in the editor. “Your name” is a placeholder. Light news is selected. A new keepsake, not an original newspaper.
BACK TO 1942 · Australia
A little history to go with their gift.
Disney’s Bambi opened in New York, Toronto’s Maple Leafs completed a historic comeback to win the Stanley Cup, and Paul McCartney was born in Liverpool. The year links animation and sport with a British birth that would later matter to popular music.
What happened in 1942?
A Boston duck family wins an art honor
Robert McCloskey’s popular Boston picture book Make Way for Ducklings won the 1942 Caldecott Medal.
American Library Association, Association for Library Service to Children · University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University Library, School Collection
Dumbo Won An Oscar For Its Score
Frank Churchill and Oliver Wallace won the Academy Award for scoring Dumbo.
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences · American Film Institute
How Green Was My Valley Won Best Picture
At the 14th Academy Awards, How Green Was My Valley won Outstanding Motion Picture and four other awards.
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences · American Film Institute Catalog
Penicillin helps save an American patient
Anne Miller became the first U.S. patient saved by penicillin after treatment on March 14, 1942.
Firsts and new ideas
An early electronic computer prototype was finished
John Atanasoff and Clifford Berry completed their electronic calculating machine prototype at Iowa State in 1942.
Computer History Museum · University of Florida, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Little Golden Books Reach Young Readers
The first Little Golden Books went on sale in October 1942, with a low price and sturdy design for young readers.
National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution · Publishers Weekly
Number ones and music in 1942
Chart positions belong to the country and chart named in each record.
Paul McCartney Was Born In Liverpool
Paul McCartney was born in Liverpool in 1942 and later became one of the Beatles’ principal songwriters.
Aretha Franklin Was Born In 1942
Born in Memphis, Aretha Franklin later became a landmark voice in American soul music.
Prices and everyday money in 1942
Australia figures in the money of the time. Units and sources matter: these are not today's prices.
| Item or measure | Then | Unit and source |
|---|---|---|
| Wage or earnings benchmark (adult male workers; weighted average nominal weekly rate for a full week's work) | 5 pounds 11 shillings 10 pence per week | pounds sterling per week (pre-decimal) Government of Western Australia |
| White bread, maximum retail price (Sydney Metropolitan Area, Inner Area, over counter) | 5½d | per 2-lb loaf Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, Government Printer |
| Ordinary domestic letter postage | 2½d | per letter up to 1 oz. Royal Philatelic Society of Victoria, Philately from Australia, September 2019 |
| Milk, maximum retail price (Perth Metropolitan Area; delivered in vendor-provided bottle/container) | 3s 0d | per gallon Government Gazette of Western Australia |
Planning the birthday
Someone born in 1942 turns 84 in 2026. Before their birthday they are one year younger. Choose the birth year for the print; add the full date in the editor if you know it.
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