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 14, 1983
Full News Archive
- Headline: New Year's Eve Rock Concert Spoof. Impact: The 'Get Crazy' rock concert sparked a worldwide movement where people began to celebrate every New Year's Eve as if it were a massive rock concert. This led to the birth of countless New Year's Eve parties that were actually just sad karaoke sessions in basements, but hey, at least they tried.. Fact: Did you know that 'Get Crazy' was actually a documentary about every New Year's Eve party you regretted attending? Spoiler: It ends with a hangover..
- Headline: Breakfast with America's Literary Giants. Impact: The breakfast meeting of literary giants inspired a secret society of writers who decided that breakfast was the most important meal of the day. This led to a global obsession with brunch, complete with overcooked eggs and overpriced mimosas.. Fact: Did you know that brunch was actually invented so people could justify drinking champagne at 10 AM? Thank you, Saul Bellow!.
- Headline: 'NEVER CRY WOLF,' ARCTIC TALE. Impact: The release of 'Never Cry Wolf' led to a sudden spike in the popularity of wolves as pets. This unintentional trend resulted in a lot of people realizing that owning a wolf is not as cool as it sounds when it tries to eat your couch.. Fact: Fun fact: The movie's success caused an uptick in wolf-themed merchandise, which has now become a staple at every questionable roadside gift shop..
- Headline: 'GREGORIO CORTEZ'. Impact: The story of Gregorio Cortez ignited a long-lost passion for tenant rights, inspiring a new generation of activists who mistakenly thought they could change the world by tweeting about it. Spoiler: They couldn't.. Fact: Did you know that watching 'Gregor Cortez' is the equivalent of reading a history book that actually has a plot? Shocking, I know!.
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