🧠 Inventions of 1980
Breakthroughs and everyday innovations from the year.
1
Portable Personal Computer
2
Compact Disc (CD)
3
Charge-Coupled Device Camera Expansion
4
Medical MRI Scanner Commercial Use
5
Digital Signal Processor
6
Electronic Spreadsheet Software
7
Home Video Game Console Expansion
8
Industrial Laser Cutting Systems
9
Automatic Blood Glucose Meter
10
Satellite Navigation Expansion
HEADLINES ON June 17, 1980
Full News Archive
- Headline: 'Blues Brothers' Movie Overview. Impact: If Belushi and Aykroyd hadn't set out on their divine mission, we might have never had 'Saturday Night Live' or the concept of musical sketch comedies. Imagine a world without those awkward family dinners where someone tries to recreate the 'Super Bass' rap!. Fact: The Blues Brothers' car is actually a Dodge Monaco, which is also the vehicle of choice for many police officers. So, technically, they were just a couple of cops doing their job... in a musical way..
- Headline: The Cultural Impact of 'Can't Stop the Music'. Impact: The movie's title became a mantra for overly enthusiastic disco lovers, leading to an ongoing debate about whether or not we should just let the music die already. Spoiler: it didn't, and now we have reality TV shows featuring singing competitions. Thanks a lot, 'Can't Stop the Music.'. Fact: 'Can't Stop the Music' was originally intended to be a vehicle for the Village People, which means we could have had a disco musical starring construction workers and cowboys dancing around. Ah, 80s creativity at its finest!.
- Headline: 'Blue Lagoon' and Its Romantic Journey. Impact: If two beautiful people stranded on a desert island can find love, it set unrealistic expectations for every couple going camping. Now, every time someone gets a mosquito bite, they think they should be having a romantic adventure. Spoiler alert: it’s just a bug bite.. Fact: 'Blue Lagoon' was filmed on location in Hawaii, so those stunning visuals were made possible by a lot of sunblock and a couple of very confused locals wondering why these kids would want to be filmed making sandcastles..
- Headline: 'BRUBAKER' STARS REDFORD AS JAIL REFORMER. Impact: Redford's portrayal of a jail reformer in 'Brubaker' influenced a generation of armchair activists who thought they could fix the prison system by binge-watching movies. Meanwhile, actual reform continues to be a Herculean task that can’t be solved by a few heartfelt speeches.. Fact: The film was based on real-life warden Thomas Brubaker, who actually tried to bring reform to prisons. So yes, it was based on a true story—much like your aunt's Pinterest board about becoming a master chef..
Wall Street Time Machine
The Right Call: If you'd invested $1,000 in any one of these companies in 1980, here's what it would be worth in 2025.
Rank #1
AAPL
Apple
Price in 1980
$0.10
Value in 2025
$2,766,454
Apple - If you invested $1,000 in 1980, it would be worth $2,766,454 today (2766.5x return)
Rank #3
INTC
Intel
Price in 1980
$0.18
Value in 2025
$199,890
Intel - If you invested $1,000 in 1980, it would be worth $199,890 today (199.9x return)
🦸 Top 5 Comics
The New Teen Titans #1
$75
The X-Men #137
$400
Savage She-Hulk #1
$276
Dazzler #1
$900
The Untold Legend of the Batman #1
$20,000
🧸 Top 5 Toys
Rubik's Cube
$150.00
Atari 2600
$2,500.00
Star Wars Action Figures
$300.00
The Empire Strikes Back Tauntaun
$150.00
LEGO Space Sets
$400.00
🎮 Top 5 Video Games
Pac-Man
$50.00
Centipede
$95.00
Missile Command
$33,400.00
Zork I: The Great Underground Empire
$212.30
Rogue
$100.00
⚾ Top 5 Trading Cards
1980 Topps Baseball Rickey Henderson Rookie Card
$138,000
1980 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky Card
$125,000
1980 Topps Larry Bird / Magic Johnson Rookie Card with Julius Erving
$500,000
1980 Panini Soccer Stickers Diego Maradona
$250,000
1980 Donruss Golf Jack Nicklaus Card
$0.00