Inventions & Breakthroughs of February 1990
Gadgets, lab surprises, odd bets, and future-shocks from this slice of the calendar.
1 
World Wide Web Prototype
2 
Digital Cellular GSM Standard
3 
Photoshop Software
4 
Human Genome Project Launch
5 
Digital Audio Compression (MP3)
6 
Satellite Navigation Civil Expansion
7 
Pen-Based Computing Concept
8 
Electronic Whiteboard
9 
Medical Laparoscopic Surgery Tools
10 
Virtual Reality Headset Prototype
The Sounds of
Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year
HEADLINES ON February 28, 1990
Full News Archive
- Headline: New Leadership at Detroit Edison. Impact: When John E. Lobbia took over at Detroit Edison, his innovative policies led to an unexpected surge in electric vehicle popularity. This resulted in the rise of a future where everyone drives an electric car, except for that one guy still clinging to his gas guzzler who constantly complains about the 'good old days.'. Fact: Did you know that mandatory retirement ages are a great way to ensure that only the wise and experienced run companies? Just kidding, it's mostly an ageist tradition that leaves a lot of knowledge at the door. Thanks, society!.
- Headline: Security Pacific Names New CEO. Impact: Donald K. Johnson's appointment at Security Pacific was the first domino in a series of events that led to the creation of the world's most unnecessary hedge fund, which only invested in beanie babies. It ultimately bankrupted the company, but hey, it was a wild ride until then!. Fact: Fun fact: appointing a new CEO is like adding a new flavor to yogurt—sometimes it’s amazing, other times you wonder who thought ‘garlic’ was a good idea..
Wall Street Time Machine
The Right Call: If you'd invested $1,000 in any one of these companies in 1990, here's what the stored 2025 dataset estimates.
Rank #1
MSFT
Microsoft
Price in 1990
$0.38
2025 dataset value
$1,285,532
Microsoft - If you invested $1,000 in 1990, it would be worth $1,285,532 today (1285.5x return)
Rank #2
AAPL
Apple
Price in 1990
$0.26
2025 dataset value
$1,043,076
Apple - If you invested $1,000 in 1990, it would be worth $1,043,076 today (1043.1x return)
🦸 Top 5 Comics
New Mutants #98
$300
Spider-Man #1
$10,000
X-Men #266
$150
Harbinger #1
$100
Detective Comics #622
$150
🧸 Top 5 Toys
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Action Figures
$150.00
Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)
$250.00
Polly Pocket
$150.00
Pound Puppies
$75.00
Micro Machines
$300.00
🎮 Top 5 Video Games
Super Mario World
$579.99
Final Fantasy III (Final Fantasy VI in Japan)
$200.00
Mega Man 3
$200.00
The Secret of Monkey Island
$300.00
Dr. Mario
$254.95
⚾ Top 5 Trading Cards
1990 Topps Frank Thomas No Name on Front
$250,000
1990 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. #156
$25,000
1990 Fleer Jose Uribe #74
$50
1990 Leaf Frank Thomas #300
$8,000
1990 O-Pee-Chee Premier Jaromir Jagr #50
$1,200