Inventions & Breakthroughs of May 1989
Gadgets, lab surprises, odd bets, and future-shocks from this slice of the calendar.
1 
World Wide Web Concept
2 
Portable Digital Assistant Concept
3 
Flash Memory
4 
Digital Mobile Phone Networks
5 
Medical Robotic Surgery Concept
6 
High-Definition Television (HDTV)
7 
Computer-Aided Geographic Information Systems
8 
Electronic Music Workstation
9 
Satellite Internet Concept
10 
Reusable Rocket Booster Studies
The Sounds of
Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year
HEADLINES ON May 20, 1989
Full News Archive
- Headline: The College Ambush: A Clumsy Plot. Impact: The assault on college with little ammunition led to a new trend where students began to weaponize their mediocrity, resulting in a generation of underachievers who later became motivational speakers. Irony at its finest, right?. Fact: Fun fact: The phrase 'dream girl' was once used to describe a mythical creature that only exists in the minds of those who binge-watch rom-coms. Mediocrity, however, is a real, tangible entity..
- Headline: Spike Lee's Impact at Cannes Film Festival. Impact: Spike Lee’s stirring moment at Cannes opened the floodgates for filmmakers everywhere to start adding 'social commentary' in their scripts, leading to the infamous 'everyone has something to say' era in cinema. Fast forward, and we got reality TV—thanks, Spike!. Fact: Did you know that Cannes is just an elaborate excuse for filmmakers to drink overpriced wine while pretending to care about art? Spike Lee, however, actually brought some substance to the table, which was a refreshing change..
Wall Street Time Machine
The Right Call: If you'd invested $1,000 in any one of these companies in 1989, here's what the stored 2025 dataset estimates.
Rank #1
AAPL
Apple
Price in 1989
$0.28
2025 dataset value
$971,793
Apple - If you invested $1,000 in 1989, it would be worth $971,793 today (971.8x return)
Rank #2
MSFT
Microsoft
Price in 1989
$0.23
2025 dataset value
$2,127,569
Microsoft - If you invested $1,000 in 1989, it would be worth $2,127,569 today (2127.6x return)
🦸 Top 5 Comics
The Sandman #1
$300
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #1
$35.00
The New Warriors #1
$50
Amazing Spider-Man #316
$30
The Punisher War Journal #7
$40
🧸 Top 5 Toys
Game Boy
$540.00
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Action Figures
$300.00
Polly Pocket
$150.00
Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
$300.00
Ghostbusters Proton Pack
$300.00
🎮 Top 5 Video Games
Tetris
$200.00
SimCity
$10.77
Prince of Persia
$150.00
Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
$781.00
Golden Axe
$200.00
⚾ Top 5 Trading Cards
Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card
$2,726
Michael Jordan Hoops Card
$250,000
Barry Sanders Rookie Card
$6,000
Randy Johnson Rookie Card (Marlboro Ad)
$70.00
John Stockton Hoops Rookie Card
$500