Inventions & Breakthroughs of August 1951
Gadgets, lab surprises, odd bets, and future-shocks from this slice of the calendar.
1 
First Commercial Computer (UNIVAC I)
2 
Microwave Popcorn
3 
Nuclear Power Generation
4 
Automatic Transmission (Hydramatic)
5 
Electric Hedge Trimmer
6 
Television Color Broadcasting
7 
Artificial Pacemaker
8 
Jet Passenger Aircraft Service
9 
Transistorized Hearing Aid
10 
Industrial Robot Concept
The Sounds of
Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year
HEADLINES ON August 9, 1951
Full News Archive
- Headline: US Supply Routes Shift Amid Cold War. Impact: The U.S. moving its supply bases led to a series of paranoid decisions, resulting in decades of over-preparedness and more military bases than Starbucks locations. Who knew caffeine and tanks would become synonymous?. Fact: Did you know that moving supply bases is basically like rearranging your furniture to avoid a ghost? Spoiler: it doesn’t work..
- Headline: Court Provides Lawyers for '2d Team' Reds. Impact: The decision to provide so many lawyers for the '2d Team' Reds set off a legal arms race, leading to an explosion in law school enrollments. Now, everyone’s a lawyer, and we can’t even get a decent pizza delivery without a contract.. Fact: Did you know that in some places, there's a higher chance of finding a lawyer than a unicorn? And yet, both are equally elusive when it comes to common sense..
- Headline: Air Raid Test Is Slated For 11 A.M. Tomorrow. Impact: The air raid test led to a decade of people setting their alarms for dramatic reasons, resulting in a cultural obsession with sirens that eventually inspired the modern ringtone craze.. Fact: Did you know that air raid sirens are basically the original alarm clocks? Just with a bit more panic and a lot less snooze button!.
- Headline: MAN PINNED IN CRASH DIES; T.L. Brantly Jr. Is Trapped 35 Minutes in Hartford. Impact: The tragic death of T.L. Brantly Jr. prompted significant safety reforms in vehicle design, changing the way cars are built and saving countless lives in the future.. Fact: Tragedies often lead to change; it’s a reminder that even in our darkest moments, we can inspire progress..
Wall Street Time Machine
The Right Call: If you'd invested $1,000 in any one of these companies in 1951, here's what the stored 2025 dataset estimates.
Rank #1
PG
Procter & Gamble
Price in 1951
$0.25
2025 dataset value
$586,657
Procter & Gamble - If you invested $1,000 in 1951, it would be worth $586,657 today (586.7x return)
Rank #2
MO
Philip Morris
Price in 1951
$0.00
2025 dataset value
$23,651,345
Philip Morris - If you invested $1,000 in 1951, it would be worth $23,651,345 today (23651.3x return)
Rank #3
CVX
Chevron
Price in 1951
$0.31
2025 dataset value
$474,914
Chevron - If you invested $1,000 in 1951, it would be worth $474,914 today (474.9x return)
🦸 Top 5 Comics
Action Comics #157
$150
Detective Comics #168
$10,200
Vault of Horror #17
$42,000
Batman #66
$150
Young Men #24
$150
🧸 Top 5 Toys
Colorforms
$250.00
View-Master (continued popularity)
$150.00
Magic 8-Ball
$75.00
Mr. Potato Head
$150.00
Betsy Wetsy Doll
$300.00
⚾ Top 5 Trading Cards
1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle #253
$90,000
1951 Topps Red & Blue Back #10 Yogi Berra
$20,000
1951 Topps Ringside Boxing #32 Rocky Marciano
$14,400
1951 Berk Ross Jackie Robinson
$10,000
1951 Topps Magic Football #7 Tom Fears
$1,500