Inventions & Breakthroughs of January 1981
Gadgets, lab surprises, odd bets, and future-shocks from this slice of the calendar.
1 
Personal Computer (IBM PC)
2 
Graphical User Interface Concept
3 
Word Processing Software (Microsoft Word)
4 
Digital Camera Prototype Commercialization
5 
Medical Infusion Pump
6 
Local Area Network Expansion
7 
Portable Video Game Console
8 
Computer-Aided Manufacturing Software
9 
Speech Recognition System Improvement
10 
Reusable Space Shuttle Program
The Sounds of
Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year
HEADLINES ON January 29, 1981
Full News Archive
- Headline: Blue Jays Sign Mayberry to Major Deal. Impact: If John Mayberry hadn't signed that contract, who knows? Maybe Canada would have devolved into a hockey-only nation, and now we’d all be forced to speak in pucks and power plays.. Fact: In a stunning twist, Mayberry's signing could have led to the Blue Jays becoming the most famous team in Canada—at least until their next playoff loss..
- Headline: Ex-Hostages Celebrate Freedom in NYC Parade. Impact: The ticker-tape parade for the ex-hostages was a grand spectacle that may have inadvertently inspired more extravagant parades, leading to the modern phenomenon of parades for, well, basically everything. Next up: the 'I Survived Monday' parade.. Fact: The last time New York City had a ticker-tape parade for someone who wasn’t a sports team or a politician was... well, who even remembers? Probably someone’s cat..
- Headline: Iran Hostage Crisis Negotiation Insights. Impact: The resolution of the hostage crisis in Iran marked a pivotal moment that set the tone for U.S.-Iran relations, which have been a rollercoaster ride of drama that would make any soap opera writer jealous.. Fact: Khomeini’s four conditions were probably more complicated than a college syllabus. Who knew hostage negotiations could involve so much paperwork?.
Wall Street Time Machine
The Right Call: If you'd invested $1,000 in any one of these companies in 1981, here's what the stored 2025 dataset estimates.
Rank #2
INTC
Intel
Price in 1981
$0.23
2025 dataset value
$155,194
Intel - If you invested $1,000 in 1981, it would be worth $155,194 today (155.2x return)
🦸 Top 5 Comics
Daredevil #181
$2,600
Uncanny X-Men #141
$1,000
Marvel Graphic Novel #1
$42,000
Moon Knight #1
$250
Saga of the Swamp Thing #1
$300
🧸 Top 5 Toys
Rubik's Cube
$150.00
LEGO Space Sets
$400.00
My Little Pony
$150.00
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
$150.00
Smurfs Figurines
$150.00
🎮 Top 5 Video Games
Donkey Kong
$300.00
Pac-Man
$1,500.00
Frogger
$50.00
Galaga
$262.70
Ms. Pac-Man
$33,400.00
⚾ Top 5 Trading Cards
1981 Topps Joe Montana Rookie Card
$76,250
1981 Fleer Fernando Valenzuela Rookie Card
$400
1981 Donruss Tim Raines Rookie Card
$1,200.00
1981 Topps Magic Johnson and Larry Bird Card
$427,000
1981 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky
$2,000