Inventions & Breakthroughs of March 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 March 17, 1990
Full News Archive
- Headline: Hoods Don Habits in Nuns on the Run. Impact: The disguise of British mobsters as nuns sparked a trend in the film industry. Ever since, studios have been searching for increasingly ridiculous ways to mix crime and religion, resulting in a bizarre genre crossover that peaked with 'The Godfather: Confessions'.. Fact: Did you know that this film led to a spike in the sales of nun costumes? Halloween was never the same..
- Headline: Revisiting 'Lord of the Flies' Remake. Impact: The inferior remake of 'Lord of the Flies' caused a ripple effect in the film industry, leading to studios believing that remakes of classics could only get worse. Thus began the era of 'let's just reboot everything until the sun explodes'.. Fact: Interestingly, this version of 'Lord of the Flies' was so bad that it inspired a new rule in Hollywood: 'No more remakes unless you're certain they can't be worse than the original.' Spoiler: That rule didn't last long..
- Headline: Condos by the Sea; Housing in Long Beach For the Affluent Elderly. Impact: The construction slowdown in Long Beach led to a real estate bubble that burst spectacularly, with retirees now living in what used to be a thriving beachfront area turned ghost town. Thanks, affluent elderly!. Fact: Fun fact: The phrase 'affluent elderly' was coined here, but it turns out they mostly just want bingo nights and less construction noise..
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