Inventions & Breakthroughs of October 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 October 1, 1983
Full News Archive
- Headline: 'ERENDIRA' Explores Family and Liberation. Impact: This surreal tale of a girl and her tyrant grandma sparked a global trend of 'grandma liberation' movements. Who knew that a fictional narrative could inspire actual revolutions? Now, grandmothers everywhere are plotting their own coups against the remote control.. Fact: Did you know that if every grandma in the world decided to overthrow a small country, there would be enough knitted sweaters to cover the entire population? Talk about a cozy revolution!.
- Headline: 'Lonely Lady' in Robbins' Narrative. Impact: Pia's flat tire turned her life into a cautionary tale about the perils of bad decisions. This event led to a worldwide increase in roadside assistance memberships. Thanks, Pia, for making us all a little more paranoid about our tires.. Fact: Fun fact: The first flat tire ever recorded was found in a cave painting. The caveman probably just yelled, 'Not again!' before calling for help..
- Headline: Animal Water Valve. Impact: The animal water valve paved the way for a whole new genre of pet accessories. Today, we have everything from drinking fountains for cats to automatic ball throwers for dogs, all thanks to the ingenuity of letting animals hydrate without human intervention.. Fact: Did you know that pigs are notorious for being picky drinkers? If only they had a say in their hydration options, they’d probably demand organic, free-range water!.
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