Inventions & Breakthroughs of August 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 August 14, 1989
Full News Archive
- Headline: Grauer & Wheat's Investment Milestone. Impact: Had Grauer & Wheat not taken over Michaels Stores, it's possible that the infamous 'DIY crafts' trend would have never reached its apex, leaving millions without the joy of creating their own glittery disasters. The world might have been spared from countless Pinterest fails.. Fact: Did you know that Peter T. Grauer once tried to build a time machine out of craft supplies? Spoiler alert: it didn’t work, but it did create a minor crafting revolution..
- Headline: Lomas Bankers Corporation Sold for $500 Million. Impact: The sale of Lomas Bankers Corporation sparked a series of corporate takeovers that would eventually lead to the over-saturation of the financial services market, making 'financial advisor' the most popular synonym for 'we're not really sure what we're doing.'. Fact: Fun fact: John C. Tolleson once said, 'If I can sell a bank, I can sell anything,' and he promptly tried to sell ice to Eskimos—unsuccessfully, of course..
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