Inventions & Breakthroughs of August 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 August 21, 1987
Full News Archive
- Headline: Elliott Gould Shines in 'Inside Out'. Impact: Elliott Gould's portrayal of a reclusive reformer inspired a generation of introverts to finally embrace their couch potato status, leading to the creation of countless self-help books on the art of doing absolutely nothing. Who knew laziness could be so influential?. Fact: Did you know that Elliott Gould was actually a huge fan of socializing? Yeah, right after this film, he went to a party and proceeded to talk about how he just wanted to stay home and watch reruns of 'M*A*S*H' instead..
- Headline: Dirty Dancing: A Catskills Summer Romance. Impact: The release of 'Dirty Dancing' shocked the world into realizing that dancing is a form of rebellion against societal norms, triggering a global rise in dance-offs, and eventually leading to the invention of TikTok dances—because we all know that Swayze's salsa was just the beginning.. Fact: Fun fact: Patrick Swayze actually had to teach Jennifer Grey how to dance. If only he had been around to teach the rest of us how to avoid awkward family gatherings in the Catskills, right?.
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