🧠 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
The Sounds of
The biggest hits of the year — Top 10 Pop & Country chart toppers
HEADLINES ON October 19, 1980
Full News Archive
- Headline: 'Times Square' with a Beat. Impact: When those two teenage drifters decided to hang out in Times Square, they unintentionally inspired every future youth to think that wandering aimlessly in big cities was the cool thing to do. Thanks to them, countless hipsters today can be found sipping overpriced coffee while pretending to be deep in thought about their 'art'.. Fact: Did you know that 'unstable teenage drifters' is actually a common job description for aspiring artists? Just ask any barista..
- Headline: 'Fade to Black' Film Retrospective. Impact: The film buff turned killer sparked a chain reaction of cinephiles claiming that they were just 'living out their favorite movie plots'. We can trace the rise of questionable fan fiction and poorly executed movie remakes back to this audacious act.. Fact: Fun fact: This movie was so bad that it actually inspired a new genre of films called 'guilty pleasures', which is basically just a fancy way of saying 'I can't believe I watched that'..
- Headline: O'Toole's Riveting Role in 'Stunt Man'. Impact: O'Toole's performance as a disturbed Vietnam vet inadvertently led to a surge in war-themed films, ultimately paving the way for every Hollywood blockbuster to shove its take on PTSD down our throats. Thanks for the emotional baggage, Peter!. Fact: Did you know that this movie was actually banned in some countries for being 'too real'? Apparently, reality is just too much for certain audiences..
- Headline: 'FOOLIN' AROUND'. Impact: 'Foolin' Around' set the standard for future rom-coms that couldn't decide whether they wanted to be funny or romantic. As a result, countless screenwriters have since been trapped in a purgatory of mediocrity, oscillating between cringe-worthy jokes and sappy love stories.. Fact: Spoiler alert: 'Foolin' Around' is actually a documentary about every date night gone wrong since the dawn of time. You're welcome!.
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