🧠 Inventions of 1981
Verified invention milestones and practical breakthroughs associated with the year.
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 8, 1981
Full News Archive
- Headline: Fellini's City of Women Unveiled. Impact: Fellini’s work sparked a chain of events leading to the rise of eccentric film directors everywhere. We could have avoided countless 'quirky' indie films if everyone had simply stopped imitating his style. But no, here we are.. Fact: Did you know that 'City of Women' was so extravagant that it single-handedly caused a shortage of glitter in Italy for a decade? Talk about a sticky situation!.
- Headline: CITY GETS MISS UNIVERSE EVENT. Impact: Selecting New York City for the Miss Universe Pageant started an avalanche of beauty pageants, leading to the creation of oddball competitions like 'Miss Underwater Basket Weaving', just to keep things interesting. Thank you, New York.. Fact: Did you know that the Miss Universe Pageant was originally created to distract people from the fact that the world was actually ending? Spoiler: it wasn’t! But those swimsuits sure made us forget about it for a while..
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