Inventions & Breakthroughs of January 1987
Gadgets, lab surprises, odd bets, and future-shocks from this slice of the calendar.
1 
Digital Camera Sensor Improvements
2 
Portable Cellular Phone
3 
Computer-Aided Surgery Systems
4 
Compact Flash Memory Concept
5 
Desktop Publishing Software (PageMaker)
6 
Medical Ultrasound Doppler Imaging
7 
Network File Sharing Protocols
8 
Automated Warehouse Robotics
9 
Digital Music Compact Disc Production
10 
Space Station Module Concepts
The Sounds of
Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year
HEADLINES ON January 5, 1987
Full News Archive
- Headline: Leo Nicholson's Legacy at CWU. Impact: If Leo Nicholson hadn't brought his A-game to Central Washington University, perhaps we would be living in a parallel universe where basketball is played with hula hoops instead of hoops. Who knows, maybe we'd even be calling it Hula-Ball!. Fact: Did you know that Leo Nicholson's secret to success was actually just a never-ending supply of Gatorade? Yeah, apparently hydration is the real MVP..
- Headline: Ambulance Incident at East Rutherford Event. Impact: The ambulance incident in the tunnel set off a chain reaction that led to the invention of the 'emergency tunnel exit' sign. Without it, who knows how many more confused athletes would have wandered into the wrong tunnel and ended up at a karaoke bar instead of the game!. Fact: Did you know that the phrase 'ambulance in the tunnel' was almost the title of a horror movie? Spoiler alert: it was just a misguided attempt to combine sports and suspense..
Wall Street Time Machine
The Right Call: If you'd invested $1,000 in any one of these companies in 1987, here's what the stored 2025 dataset estimates.
Rank #1
AAPL
Apple
Price in 1987
$0.14
2025 dataset value
$1,945,817
Apple - If you invested $1,000 in 1987, it would be worth $1,945,817 today (1945.8x return)
Rank #2
MSFT
Microsoft
Price in 1987
$0.10
2025 dataset value
$4,778,667
Microsoft - If you invested $1,000 in 1987, it would be worth $4,778,667 today (4778.7x return)
Rank #3
INTC
Intel
Price in 1987
$0.25
2025 dataset value
$146,978
Intel - If you invested $1,000 in 1987, it would be worth $146,978 today (147.0x return)
🦸 Top 5 Comics
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #4
$150
Watchmen #12
$150
Daredevil #227
$500
X-Men #221
$125
Justice League #1
$1,500
🧸 Top 5 Toys
Teddy Ruxpin
$300.00
Koosh Ball
$75.00
Nerf Football
$900.00
Jenga
$300.00
Pound Puppies
$75.00
🎮 Top 5 Video Games
The Legend of Zelda
$500.00
Final Fantasy
$150.00
Metal Gear
$299.99
Street Fighter
$185.00
Contra
$200.00
⚾ Top 5 Trading Cards
1987 Fleer Michael Jordan #59
$18,100.00
1987 Topps Barry Bonds #320
$1,200
1987 Donruss Greg Maddux Rated Rookie #36
$300
1987 Topps Tiffany Bo Jackson #170
$170
1987 Panini Soccer Diego Maradona #82
$250,000