Inventions & Breakthroughs of December 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 December 6, 1981
Full News Archive
- Headline: Hank Fonda's Triumph in On Golden Pond. Impact: If Fonda hadn't nailed that role, we might have ended up with a summer retreat reality show instead. Can you imagine? 'Keeping Up with the Fondas' might have ruined family vacations forever.. Fact: Did you know that Henry Fonda had a peculiar talent for making awkward family dynamics feel relatable? I mean, who needs therapy when you've got summer retreats and a life coach named Ernest Thompson?.
- Headline: Beatty's 'Reds' Featuring Diane Keaton. Impact: Beatty's 'Reds' inspired countless hipster book clubs. Without it, we might never have seen the rise of ironic beards and artisanal coffee—thank you, Bolsheviks!. Fact: Did you know that Diane Keaton's wardrobe in 'Reds' helped start the whole 'I just threw this on' look? Who knew revolution could be so chic?.
- Headline: Fonda's Renowned Role in 'On Golden Pond'. Impact: If 'On Golden Pond' had flopped, we might have been subjected to a series of remakes of 'The Bachelor' featuring despondent retirees. Thanks, Fonda, for saving us from that nightmare.. Fact: Did you know that the play's title was inspired by a real pond? Yep, it’s true—although I’m pretty sure the fish were just as confused as the audience after that emotional rollercoaster..
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