Inventions & Breakthroughs of August 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 August 17, 1984
Full News Archive
- Headline: Exploring 'Experiment': A Unique Film Experience. Impact: After this film's release, a butterfly in the Amazon flapped its wings, leading to a series of bizarre time-travel theories that filled coffee shop conversations for decades. Who knew a poorly received movie could alter the course of conspiracy theorists' lives?. Fact: Interestingly, 'EXPERIMENT' was so convoluted that even the script had a hard time figuring out what it was trying to say. Spoiler: it didn't say much..
- Headline: Screening of 'Sheena,' Jungle Romance. Impact: The underwhelming response to 'SHEENA' caused a ripple effect that led to the cancellation of countless jungle-themed films, allowing humanity to focus more on actual wildlife documentaries instead of this cinematic catastrophe.. Fact: Fun fact: 'SHEENA' was one of the first films to teach us that real jungle sprites are much harder to find than you’d think, especially in Hollywood..
- Headline: Clint Eastwood's Gripping Thriller 'Tightrope'. Impact: The success of 'TIGHTROPE' inadvertently led to an uptick in New Orleans tourism, with visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of the gritty underbelly portrayed in the film. Little did they know, real life is even messier!. Fact: Did you know that Clint Eastwood's tough guy persona was so convincing that people in New Orleans started referring to him as 'that guy who definitely would not pay for a drink'?.
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