Inventions & Breakthroughs of May 1984
Gadgets, lab surprises, odd bets, and future-shocks from this slice of the calendar.
1 
Graphical User Interface Computer (Macintosh)
2 
Inkjet Printer (Consumer)
3 
Medical DNA Fingerprinting
4 
Compact Laptop Computer
5 
Digital Music Synthesizer
6 
Video Cassette Rental System
7 
Speech-to-Text Software
8 
Advanced Prosthetic Limb Control
9 
Optical Fiber Network Expansion
10 
Personal Desktop Publishing
The Sounds of
Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year
HEADLINES ON May 11, 1984
Full News Archive
- Headline: Redford and Duvall Star in 'The Natural'. Impact: If Redford and Duvall had never starred in 'The Natural', baseball may have never regained its status as America's pastime, leading to a national crisis where people would have resorted to knitting as a major sport. Can you imagine knitting championships on ESPN? What a disaster!. Fact: Did you know that Robert Redford almost didn't play the lead role? He was too busy perfecting his ‘serious actor’ face in the mirror..
- Headline: Gabriela: A Complex Narrative in Film. Impact: 'Gabriela' being a hit could have led to a sudden surge in Turkish bar owners becoming the new cultural icons, resulting in a global trend of bar-based reality shows. Imagine a world where 'Survivor' takes place in a bar! Drink responsibly, folks!. Fact: Fun fact: 'Gabriela' inspired more people to open bars than any self-help book ever could. Who needs therapy when you can just pour a drink?.
- Headline: SCREEN: 'FIRESTARTER' Movie Event. Impact: The success of 'Firestarter' might have inadvertently sparked a new trend of telekinetic firefighters in Hollywood. Can you picture a superhero franchise where firefighters can extinguish flames with their minds? Talk about a hot ticket!. Fact: Did you know that Stephen King originally wanted to title it 'Minor Arsonist'? It just didn’t have the same ring to it!.
Wall Street Time Machine
The Right Call: If you'd invested $1,000 in any one of these companies in 1984, here's what the stored 2025 dataset estimates.
Rank #1
WMT
Walmart
Price in 1984
$0.23
2025 dataset value
$490,961
Walmart - If you invested $1,000 in 1984, it would be worth $490,961 today (491.0x return)
Rank #2
JNJ
Johnson & Johnson
Price in 1984
$0.94
2025 dataset value
$222,603
Johnson & Johnson - If you invested $1,000 in 1984, it would be worth $222,603 today (222.6x return)
Rank #3
MCD
McDonald's
Price in 1984
$1.18
2025 dataset value
$271,190
McDonald's - If you invested $1,000 in 1984, it would be worth $271,190 today (271.2x return)
🦸 Top 5 Comics
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1
$100,000
Secret Wars #8
$150
The New Teen Titans #1
$200
Saga of the Swamp Thing #25
$60
Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #1
$300
🧸 Top 5 Toys
Transformers
$1,200.00
Cabbage Patch Kids
$150.00
Voltron
$200.00
Masters of the Universe: He-Man
$150.00
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
$143.75
🎮 Top 5 Video Games
Tetris
$1,000.00
Duck Hunt
$275.00
Marble Madness
$100.00
Boulder Dash
$100.00
Kung-Fu Master
$200.00
⚾ Top 5 Trading Cards
Don Mattingly Rookie Card #8
$3,000
Dan Marino Rookie Card #123
$30,000
John Elway Rookie Card #63
$15,250
Darryl Strawberry Rookie Card #182
$200
Hulk Hogan Rookie Card #1
$41,000