Inventions & Breakthroughs of October 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 October 21, 1980
Full News Archive
- Headline: Sinatra Stars in 'First Deadly Sin'. Impact: If it weren't for Sinatra's performance in 'First Deadly Sin', we might have avoided a decade of cops in movies being written as tortured souls with a penchant for revenge. Picture this: a world where action heroes just enjoy knitting instead of battling their internal demons. What a missed opportunity!. Fact: Did you know that Frank Sinatra once said he’d rather be a “has-been” than a “never-was”? Ironically, this movie might have been the ‘never-was’ he was talking about..
- Headline: Exploring 'LOVING COUPLES' and Relationships. Impact: The concept of swapping partners might have evolved into a global phenomenon if not for its awkward execution in this show. Imagine a world where everyone just casually traded their spouses like Pokémon cards. Thankfully, this headline kept that from catching on. Phew!. Fact: Fun fact: 'Loving Couples' was so groundbreaking that it inspired many to start swapping ideas—like how to avoid awkward dinner conversations. Because, if you can't swap partners, at least you can swap excuses!.
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