Inventions & Breakthroughs of July 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 July 19, 1984
Full News Archive
- Headline: Dermatologist Battles FDA Over Silicone Use. Impact: Dr. Orentreich's battle over silicone injections leads to a chain reaction in cosmetic procedures. Fast forward a few decades, and suddenly everyone's getting injections for everything from wrinkles to existential dread. Thanks, Doc, now we have influencers with less authenticity than a plastic spoon.. Fact: Did you know that silicone wasn't always a beauty treatment? At one point, it was considered a great way to keep your car from rusting. Ah, the multi-talented silicone!.
- Headline: Davenport Desks: A Decorative Legacy. Impact: The Davenport desk becomes the go-to workspace for aspiring writers and schemers alike. The rise of the writer's desk leads to a surge in terrible poetry and existential crises that echoes through the ages. Who knew furniture could be so influential?. Fact: Did you know that 'Davenport' is also a city in Iowa? So if your desk breaks, just move to the Midwest and hope for the best!.
- Headline: Enhancing Pool Safety with Useful Tools. Impact: The push for pool safety leads to the invention of increasingly bizarre pool floaties. By the 2020s, we have inflatable unicorns and flamingos taking over backyard pools, distracting from the actual swimming. Who knew safety could be so... fabulous?. Fact: Did you know that lifeguards once had to save people from the depths of their own stupidity? Now they just sit and watch while people try to figure out how to drown in an inflatable flamingo..
- Headline: HERS. Impact: This exploration of maternal legacies leads to a cultural renaissance of appreciating women's roles in family and society, with future generations finally recognizing that moms are not just kitchen magicians but also emotional support systems. And now we have an entire month dedicated to them—Mother's Day, because one day is totally enough!. Fact: Did you know that the phrase 'Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes'? It’s probably true, especially when it comes to familial dynamics..
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