Inventions & Breakthroughs of September 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 September 13, 1990
Full News Archive
- Headline: New Safety Guide for Lead Paint Removal. Impact: The release of this guide sparked a nationwide obsession with home safety, leading to a bizarre trend where homeowners began testing not just for lead, but also for ghosts, resulting in a boom in paranormal reality TV shows. Thanks, Massachusetts!. Fact: Did you know that lead was once thought to be a health tonic? Because who wouldn’t want to drink something that sounds like it should be in a car battery?.
- Headline: Restoration of Historic Country House. Impact: Reviving this country house became the blueprint for all future reality TV renovation shows, where every crumbling mansion was treated like the lost treasure of the Titanic. Who knew that moldy ceilings could spark a multi-billion dollar industry?. Fact: Fun fact: The only thing scarier than a crumbling house is the price tag of fixing it. Spoiler alert: it's always more than your budget..
- Headline: Utility Merger: A Strategic Alliance Emerges. Impact: This thrilling meeting of utilities paved the way for a future where power companies would create secret alliances, leading to the rise of shadowy corporate conglomerates that control everything, including your electric bill. The real-life Game of Thrones, but with more paperwork.. Fact: Did you know that utility companies are basically the modern-day 'cool kids' in high school? They just want to share power, but only if you pay your dues (and your bills) first!.
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