Inventions & Breakthroughs of April 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 April 3, 1981
Full News Archive
- Headline: Louis Malle's 'Atlantic City' Screening. Impact: The film 'Atlantic City' sparked a fashion craze for soiled fringe attire, leading to a generation of hipsters who thought thrift stores were the epitome of culture. Little did they know, it was just a clever ploy by the fabric industry to sell more rags.. Fact: Did you know that Louis Malle once tried to teach a ghost how to do the cha-cha? It didn't end well..
- Headline: Jerry Lewis's 'Hardly Working' Premiere. Impact: Jerry Lewis's 'Hardly Working' inspired a new genre of cinema: 'slightly less than mediocre.' This created an endless cycle of films so unremarkable that they could only be remembered by the family members of the cast and crew.. Fact: Did you know Jerry Lewis once claimed he could make a movie out of watching paint dry? Spoiler alert: he did, and it was still funnier than this one..
- Headline: Red Smith: The Two-Headed Trout. Impact: The tale of the two-headed trout led to a spike in aquatic oddities, prompting a secret society of fishermen who believed they could catch the elusive three-headed trout, which, as it turns out, was just a clever marketing ploy by the local bait shop.. Fact: Did you know that trout are known for their enthusiasm in the wild? It's probably because they haven't seen a calendar since 1982..
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