Inventions & Breakthroughs of December 1994
Gadgets, lab surprises, odd bets, and future-shocks from this slice of the calendar.
1 
E-Commerce Platform
2 
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
3 
Search Engine (Yahoo)
4 
Digital Mobile Phone Expansion
5 
Web Advertising Banner
6 
Online Multiplayer Gaming
7 
Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)
8 
Internet Radio
9 
Voice over IP Concept
10 
Medical Telemedicine Systems
The Sounds of
Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year
HEADLINES ON December 3, 1994
Full News Archive
- Headline: Browning-Ferris Takes Over Attwoods. Impact: If Browning-Ferris hadn't pulled off this hostile takeover, we might have lived in a world where British waste management was still run by those pesky 'Attwoods.' Imagine a timeline where your trash was sorted by an adorable British accent instead of corporate giants. The fate of waste management in the UK could have led to a renaissance of recycling, or at least some really posh rubbish bins.. Fact: Browning-Ferris was known for its trash talk, but this takeover was probably the most expensive way to get someone to take out the garbage..
- Headline: Understanding College Savings Strategies. Impact: The push for college savings strategies may have inadvertently led to an entire generation of parents stressing out over 529 plans instead of enjoying time with their kids. Who knew worrying about interest rates could become a family tradition?. Fact: Tax-deferred annuities: because nothing says 'I love you' like locking away your money until your kids are too old to appreciate it..
Wall Street Time Machine
The Right Call: If you'd invested $1,000 in any one of these companies in 1994, here's what the stored 2025 dataset estimates.
Rank #2
ORCL
Oracle
Price in 1994
$1.13
2025 dataset value
$159,565
Oracle - If you invested $1,000 in 1994, it would be worth $159,565 today (159.6x return)
🦸 Top 5 Comics
Spawn #26
$29.00
The Sandman #57
$150
Preacher #1
$150
X-Men #30
$250
Bone #10
$1,000
🧸 Top 5 Toys
Power Rangers Action Figures
$150.00
Pogs
$50.00
LEGO Ice Planet 2002
$150.00
VR Troopers Toys
$50.00
Easy-Bake Oven (Reissue)
$75.00
🎮 Top 5 Video Games
Donkey Kong Country
$180.00
Final Fantasy VI
$250.00
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
$39.50
System Shock
$100.00
Earthworm Jim
$150.00
⚾ Top 5 Trading Cards
Michael Jordan #1 (Star '84 Tribute)
$75,000
Magic: The Gathering 'Winter Orb'
$300
Shaquille O'Neal #32 (USA Basketball)
$250,000
Ken Griffey Jr. 'Griffey' #72 (Topps Stadium Club)
$1,272
Jace, the Mind Sculptor
$500,000