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 31, 1981
Full News Archive
- Headline: Saturday News Quiz Challenge. Impact: If only more people had used fire extinguishers in the 1800s, maybe the Great Chicago Fire would have just been a small barbecue mishap instead of a historical catastrophe. Alas, the New York cops were busy practicing instead of saving the world.. Fact: The SAT was originally created to help college admissions, but now it's just a rite of passage for students to stress over multiple-choice questions and obscure vocabulary..
- Headline: Veterans' Perspectives on Post-War New York. Impact: The emotional scars of Vietnam veterans shaped public perception of war for decades, leading to a generation of anti-war protests and a very awkward Thanksgiving dinner for families with differing opinions.. Fact: Veterans often joke that they fought for freedom abroad, only to come home and be greeted with indifference. It's like winning the lottery but not getting a ticket..
- Headline: HOMICIDAL MANIAC. Impact: This homicidal maniac's antics could have inspired countless horror movies, leading to a cultural obsession with slasher films that might explain why we’re all terrified of going into the woods alone.. Fact: Pot-bellied psychopaths in horror films are the ultimate plot twist—because who would suspect the guy that looks like he just finished a BBQ would be the one with the axe?.
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