Inventions & Breakthroughs of July 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 July 20, 1990
Full News Archive
- Headline: Brando's Witty Odyssey Unveiled. Impact: If Marlon Brando hadn't nailed the role of the godfather, we might have ended up with a world where the mafia was led by someone who couldn’t act to save their life. Can you imagine a scene where the don is played by, say, a very enthusiastic dog? The world would have been so much fluffier, but also much less dramatic.. Fact: Brando's method acting was so intense that he once tried to convince a director that his character was actually a salad. Spoiler: It didn't make the final cut..
- Headline: Revitalizing Glendale: New Queens Condos. Impact: This condo project may have inadvertently sparked a wave of hipsters who think they are preserving history by living in overpriced shoeboxes. Soon, every neighborhood will look like a museum of overpriced nostalgia with artisanal avocado toast.. Fact: Condos are like modern-day castles—only now, instead of moats, you get overpriced parking and a yoga studio that doubles as a storage unit..
- Headline: 50's Vibes Meet 80's Rebellion. Impact: Had this film not been released, the world might have never embraced the idea of ex-convicts fixing cars, leading to a shortage of inspirational 'redemption' stories in Hollywood. We might all still be stuck watching movies about talking furniture or something equally absurd.. Fact: In the 80s, there were more movies about ex-cons than there were about actual felons. Maybe they should have just made a documentary about the neighborhood pets instead?.
- Headline: Review/Film; Teen-Age Mutant Ninja Seals, Grown Up and in the Navy. Impact: If these 'Teen-Age Mutant Ninja Seals' had actually existed, we could have had a new breed of military animal operatives, and who knows? We might be living in a world where seals are running our Navy and dolphins are in charge of communications. Flipper would be a four-star admiral by now!. Fact: The original title was so long, it almost required a second movie just to fit on the marquee. Catchy titles have come a long way, haven't they?.
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