Inventions & Breakthroughs of August 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 August 9, 1990
Full News Archive
- Headline: Architects Challenge Traditional Mail Practices. Impact: If architects hadn't decided that junk mail deserved better boxes, we might have never seen the rise of extravagant package designs. Today, package unboxing has become an Olympic sport, and who can say no to a gold medal in cardboard artistry?. Fact: The only thing more useless than junk mail is the number of people who actually read it. Spoiler alert: it's zero..
- Headline: CIT Group Appoints New President. Impact: Marsiello's appointment to CIT's financing unit could be the spark that ignited the textile and furniture empires of the future. Imagine a world where upholstery is considered a major economic indicator—thank you, Lawrence A. Marsiello!. Fact: The only thing more exciting than financing operations is watching paint dry. But hey, at least Marsiello gets to do it with a fancy title!.
- Headline: Revitalizing Antique Furniture Techniques. Impact: By refreshing old wood with new stains, we may have inadvertently set off a chain reaction of DIY enthusiasts thinking they could revive their own homes, leading to a national crisis in home improvement shows. Thanks, new stain!. Fact: Old wood has more stories than your grandpa after a few drinks. And just like him, sometimes it needs a little 'freshening up' to keep things interesting..
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