🧠 Inventions of 1981
Breakthroughs and everyday innovations from 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
The biggest hits of the year — Top 10 Pop & Country chart toppers
HEADLINES ON August 23, 1981
Full News Archive
- Headline: Exploring 'Honky Tonk Freeway' Insights. Impact: The harsh view presented in 'Honky Tonk Freeway' led to a surge in small-town tourism, as people flocked to Florida in search of the quirky Americana depicted in the film. Little did they know, this would also inspire a wave of equally oddball reality TV shows decades later. Thanks, America!. Fact: Did you know that the term 'Honky Tonk' actually refers to a type of bar that plays country music? So, essentially, this film is just a love letter to your uncle's favorite hangout..
- Headline: Historic Day: Women in the Supreme Court. Impact: With the appointment of the first woman to the Supreme Court, a cosmic shift occurred that rippled through time, leading to an endless debate about gender equality. This eventually inspired countless memes, hashtags, and, of course, the inevitable backlash from people who still think 'women belong in the kitchen.'. Fact: Fun fact: Sandra Day O'Connor was so skittish that in her first week on the court, she accidentally filed a dissenting opinion on a case about cheese. Yes, cheese. It was a big gouda deal..
Wall Street Time Machine
The Right Call: If you'd invested $1,000 in any one of these companies in 1981, here's what it would be worth in 2025.
Rank #2
INTC
Intel
Price in 1981
$0.23
Value in 2025
$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