Inventions & Breakthroughs of December 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 December 10, 1980
Full News Archive
- Headline: Comedy Classic: Pryor and Wilder Unite. Impact: If Pryor and Wilder hadn’t teamed up in 'Stir Crazy', who knows? Maybe the world would have ended up with less laughter and more serious prison dramas, leading to an even more uptight society where people would have to rely on actual therapy instead of comedy.. Fact: Did you know that Richard Pryor once set himself on fire while freebasing cocaine? Talk about a hot performance!.
- Headline: Altman's Unique Take on Popeye. Impact: The bizarre existence of 'Popeye' caused a chain reaction in animated adaptations, leading to an overabundance of cartoon adaptations. If only they had known that a spinach-loving sailor could lead to the rise of the superhero genre—thanks a lot, olive oil!. Fact: Altman's 'Popeye' was so unique that critics were left wondering if they were watching a film or just a long commercial for spinach. Spoiler: It was mostly the latter..
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