Inventions & Breakthroughs of June 1980
Gadgets, lab surprises, odd bets, and future-shocks from this slice of the calendar.
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
The Sounds of
Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year
HEADLINES ON June 22, 1980
Full News Archive
- Headline: The Blues Brothers: A Musical Comedy Classic. Impact: The success of 'Blues Brothers' led to a spike in people wearing sunglasses indoors, resulting in a global shortage of anti-reflective lenses that still haunts optometrists today.. Fact: Did you know that despite being on a mission from God, the movie’s biggest impact was convincing people that dancing in a car is a good idea? Spoiler: it’s not..
- Headline: Celebrating Music and Corn Culture. Impact: The release of 'Can't Stop the Music' was pivotal in the rise of disco, which ultimately led to the 'disco demolition night' where vinyl records were literally blown up. Talk about a dramatic exit!. Fact: Fun fact: The movie was so bad that some historians argue it contributed to the decline of disco faster than any anti-disco campaign could..
- Headline: 'Blue Lagoon': A Tale of Innocence. Impact: The 'Blue Lagoon' incident inspired a generation of misguided beach vacations, where people thought they could achieve a similar level of idyllic isolation—only to end up at crowded resorts fighting for deck chairs.. Fact: Did you know that the island was so stunning that many people forgot to focus on the plot? It’s basically a nature documentary with awkward teenage romance sprinkled in..
- Headline: 'BRUBAKER' STARS REDFORD AS JAIL REFORMER. Impact: Redford’s portrayal in 'Brubaker' kickstarted a reform movement in prisons, which ironically led to more movies about prison life, perpetuating the stereotype that all prisons are just hotbeds of drama and jazzercise.. Fact: Did you know that 'Brubaker' was so earnest that it unintentionally inspired a wave of serious prison documentaries, all of which made people even more confused about the justice system? Bravo!.
Wall Street Time Machine
The Right Call: If you'd invested $1,000 in any one of these companies in 1980, here's what the stored 2025 dataset estimates.
Rank #1
AAPL
Apple
Price in 1980
$0.10
2025 dataset value
$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
2025 dataset value
$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