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 31, 1984
Full News Archive
- Headline: Women and Freedom: A Complex Journey. Impact: If Vassilis Vitsaxis had never made that comment, we might have ended up in a world where every woman celebrating her freedom had to wear a literal cage. Freedom celebrated in bondage? Now that's a twist worthy of a dystopian novel!. Fact: Vassilis Vitsaxis once tried to convince a room of diplomats that freedom is just another word for 'more responsibilities.' Spoiler alert: He didn’t get invited back..
- Headline: Reviving Antique Furniture Locks. Impact: The decline of furniture locks led to a renaissance in DIY home security, resulting in the rise of an entire generation of people who think a shoelace can replace a key. Thanks to this, locksmiths now have a thriving business teaching classes on 'How to Not Lose Your Keys.'. Fact: Furniture locks were once considered so secure that they were used to hide the family jewels. Now, they just hide the remote control from your couch cushions..
- Headline: Innovative Ladder Designs for Homeowners. Impact: The introduction of versatile ladders sparked a global movement known as 'Overly Ambitious DIY Projects,' leading to injuries, viral videos, and a spike in calls to emergency services. This has forever changed the way the world views ladder safety.. Fact: The only thing more versatile than a ladder is the number of ways people can misjudge its height and end up in a hilarious situation. Thank you, gravity!.
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