Inventions & Breakthroughs of September 1983
Gadgets, lab surprises, odd bets, and future-shocks from this slice of the calendar.
1 
Cellular Telephone Commercial Launch
2 
Domain Name System (DNS)
3 
Personal Computer Mouse
4 
Compact Disc-ROM
5 
Artificial Intelligence Expert Systems
6 
Global Positioning System Deployment
7 
Portable CD Player (Discman)
8 
Medical Laser Eye Surgery
9 
Computer-Aided Drug Design
10 
Electronic Trading Systems
The Sounds of
Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year
HEADLINES ON September 1, 1983
Full News Archive
- Headline: Revival of Ornamental Glass Artistry. Impact: The resurgence of ornamental glass led to an unexpected spike in 'How to Avoid Dusting' workshops across the nation. It is rumored that a secret society of dusters emerged, forever altering the trajectory of home cleaning.. Fact: Fun fact: The intricate designs of ornamental glass were so distracting that they inspired the first-ever art of daydreaming—patent pending!.
- Headline: Rediscovering Marriage After Two Decades. Impact: This subway sighting sparked a nationwide trend of 'spying on your friends,' which inadvertently led to the creation of reality TV. Thanks, random friend, for launching a thousand awkward seasons of 'Keeping Up with the Joneses.'. Fact: Did you know that subway surveillance has its roots in eavesdropping etiquette? It's basically the polite way of saying 'I care about your life, but not enough to actually talk to you.'.
- Headline: Revolutionary Closet Organizers Unveiled. Impact: The introduction of reasonably priced closet organizers caused a 300% increase in couples arguing over whose turn it is to 'organize' the closet. This led to the invention of the ‘Fighting Over Storage Space’ board game.. Fact: Did you know that the first closet organizer was actually just a very optimistic person who believed everyone needed more space for their regrets and unworn shoes?.
Wall Street Time Machine
The Right Call: If you'd invested $1,000 in any one of these companies in 1983, here's what the stored 2025 dataset estimates.
Rank #2
WMT
Walmart
Price in 1983
$0.15
2025 dataset value
$784,047
Walmart - If you invested $1,000 in 1983, it would be worth $784,047 today (784.0x return)
Rank #3
JNJ
Johnson & Johnson
Price in 1983
$1.11
2025 dataset value
$188,194
Johnson & Johnson - If you invested $1,000 in 1983, it would be worth $188,194 today (188.2x return)
🦸 Top 5 Comics
The New Teen Titans #1
$150
Saga of the Swamp Thing #20
$50
Detective Comics #526
$15
Thor #337
$50
Miracleman #2
$1,500
🧸 Top 5 Toys
Cabbage Patch Kids
$150.00
My Little Pony
$150.00
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
$150.00
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
$175.00
Star Wars Return of the Jedi Action Figures
$150.00
🎮 Top 5 Video Games
Mario Bros.
$600.00
Dragon'S Lair
$200.00
M.U.L.E.
$182.44
Lode Runner
$115.00
Tapper
$150.00
⚾ Top 5 Trading Cards
1983 Topps Baseball Tony Gwynn Rookie Card
$2,500
1983 Topps Baseball Ryne Sandberg Rookie Card
$1,560.00
1983 Topps Baseball Wade Boggs Rookie Card
$1,500
1983 O-Pee-Chee Wrestling Hulk Hogan Card
$1,000
1983 Donruss Baseball Three’s Company - Ripken, Hrabosky, And Fingers (Card #654)
Unknown