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 18, 1990
Full News Archive
- Headline: When Heaven Turns Out Not to Be. Impact: This film's lukewarm reception led to the creation of at least three more underwhelming mafia movies, each featuring a protagonist with a questionable moral compass and an even more questionable hairstyle. Somewhere in Hollywood, a screenwriter is still trying to figure out how to make a 'quirky' hitman relatable.. Fact: Fun fact: 'When Heaven Turns Out Not to Be' was originally titled 'When Your Pizza Delivery Guy Is Also a Mob Boss' but they decided that sounded too much like a rom-com..
- Headline: Exploring 'Leaving the Devil Out in the Cold'. Impact: The stylish slayings in this film inspired a brief wave of copycat movie titles like 'Killing with Class' and 'Murder in Vogue', both of which flopped spectacularly, proving that the fashion industry is better suited for runway shows than crime scenes.. Fact: Did you know that the phrase 'exorcise this' became a popular meme among film critics who were tired of watching subpar horror movies? It’s now used in therapy sessions for people recovering from bad cinema..
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