Inventions & Breakthroughs of July 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 July 16, 1980
Full News Archive
- Headline: 'No Nukes' Concert Documentaries. Impact: The 'NO NUKES' concerts stirred a global movement against nuclear weapons that led to the invention of the Peace Sign Emoji decades later, because nothing says 'no nukes' like a cute little symbol on social media.. Fact: Did you know that the musicians at these concerts probably could have solved world peace if only they had access to a decent Wi-Fi connection?.
- Headline: 'Honeysuckle Rose' Highlights Singer's Struggles. Impact: The woes of a touring singer in 'HONEYSUCKLE ROSE' inadvertently inspired a generation of musicians to write autobiographies about their dramatic lives, which subsequently led to an explosion of cringe-worthy reality TV shows featuring 'stars' who can barely hold a tune.. Fact: Fun fact: If you ever feel like your life is a mess, just remember that this singer probably had a better fan base than you and still couldn't catch a break!.
- Headline: 'THE BIG RED ONE' and WWII G.I.s. Impact: The release of 'THE BIG RED ONE' helped to glorify the concept of the 'heroic soldier,' inadvertently leading to a long-standing trend of Hollywood attempting to rewrite history, making it much cooler than it actually was—cue the action-packed war movies.. Fact: Ironically, Samuel Fuller's films are so self-absorbed, they probably have their own Instagram accounts that only post selfies..
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