🧠 Inventions of 1984
Breakthroughs and everyday innovations from the year.
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
The biggest hits of the year — Top 10 Pop & Country chart toppers
HEADLINES ON July 4, 1984
Full News Archive
- Headline: Dramatic Changes at Wimbledon Matches. Impact: Had Pam Shriver not clutched her throat like she was in the middle of a Shakespearean drama, perhaps we would have never developed the concept of dramatic sports moments. This led to an increase in sports-themed reality shows, where athletes are now more concerned about their on-camera expressions than the game itself.. Fact: Did you know that the term 'choking' in sports originally referred to a player struggling to breathe, not a metaphor for failing under pressure? Thank you, Pam!.
- Headline: Court Decision on Jaycee Rule Against Women. Impact: This court decision was a significant step toward gender equality, leading to a world where women can now complain about their sports teams' performance just as much as men. Who knew the Jaycees were just a small piece in the larger puzzle of gender equality?. Fact: Did you know that the Jaycees once believed that allowing women would ruin their ‘manly’ activities? Spoiler alert: they were wrong. Women know how to ruin things too, just like men do, only with better shoes!.
Wall Street Time Machine
The Right Call: If you'd invested $1,000 in any one of these companies in 1984, here's what it would be worth in 2025.
Rank #1
WMT
Walmart
Price in 1984
$0.23
Value in 2025
$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
Value in 2025
$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
Value in 2025
$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