Inventions & Breakthroughs of June 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 June 11, 1990
Full News Archive
- Headline: Bill Tilden's Tennis Transformation. Impact: Bill Tilden's transformation inspired a generation of tennis players, eventually leading to a surge in tennis popularity that resulted in countless backyard matches, many of which ended in dramatic injuries and family feuds over the last slice of pizza.. Fact: Did you know that Tilden was so good, he made tennis look like a walk in the park? Which is ironic, because you usually have to run a marathon to get to the tennis court!.
- Headline: Police Disruptions and Violent Escapes. Impact: This incident ignited a series of protests that eventually sparked a nationwide conversation about police-community relations, which, spoiler alert, is still ongoing and still a bit of a mess.. Fact: Fun fact: Firebombing a police car is not considered a 'great first date' idea, unless you're trying to make a statement about your fiery passion for social justice..
- Headline: New Leadership at Sumitomo Trust U.S. Unit. Impact: The naming of Fumihiko Imamura led to a cultural shift in banking practices, where the phrase 'trust us' was taken literally for about five minutes before everyone went back to their old ways of questionable ethics.. Fact: Did you know that in the banking world, 'leader' is often just code for 'person who gets blamed when things go wrong'? Welcome to corporate America!.
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