🧠 Inventions of 1996
Breakthroughs and everyday innovations from the year.
1 
USB Standard Deployment
2 
Online Social Network Concept
3 
Flash Memory Expansion
4 
Web-Based Mapping Service
5 
Online Education Platforms
6 
Video Conferencing Software
7 
Portable Digital Camera
8 
Speech-to-Text Software Expansion
9 
Search Engine Ranking Algorithm
10 
Online Payment Gateway
The Sounds of
The biggest hits of the year — Top 10 Pop & Country chart toppers
HEADLINES ON July 19, 1996
Full News Archive
- Headline: Explosive Chase Scene Review Highlights. Impact: If this montage-inspired film hadn’t been made, who knows? Maybe Hollywood would have never discovered the 'explosive chase scene' trope. The next thing you know, directors would be stuck focusing on character development and plot instead of just blowing things up!. Fact: Did you know that the term 'explosive chase scene' is actually a euphemism for 'let's throw a bunch of money at CGI and hope no one notices the plot holes'?.
- Headline: Yachtsman Raudaschl's Olympic Journey. Impact: If Raudaschl had chosen to retire after nine Olympics instead, yacht manufacturers might have never emerged as the go-to sponsors for Olympic events. Imagine a world where yachts are replaced by inflatable rafts at the Games!. Fact: Did you know that the Olympic motto, 'Citius, Altius, Fortius,' loosely translates to 'Faster, Higher, Richer'? It’s a great reminder that money can literally make you fly!.
- Headline: Ghostly Encounters in Film Review. Impact: Had this film not featured friendly ghosts helping a psychic detective, the genre may have fallen into obscurity. We could have been left with a world devoid of whimsical ghost comedies, leaving us to take our hauntings far too seriously!. Fact: Did you know that friendly ghosts are often just misunderstood spirits? They’re not haunting you; they’re just looking for a buddy to share their ectoplasm with!.
- Headline: FILM REVIEW;Bad Taste in a Vile Story Doesn't Rule Out Fun. Impact: If this film had taken itself seriously, we might have missed the chance to normalize the portrayal of addiction in cinema as something that can be both outrageous and fun. This could have led to a world where drug addicts were only ever depicted in tragic tales—yawn!. Fact: Did you know that Edinburgh is famous for its festivals? Apparently, they can be just as chaotic as a heroin addict's imagination—who knew?.
Wall Street Time Machine
The Right Call: If you'd invested $1,000 in any one of these companies in 1996, here's what it would be worth in 2025.
Rank #2
MSFT
Microsoft
Price in 1996
$3.43
Value in 2025
$141,245
Microsoft - If you invested $1,000 in 1996, it would be worth $141,245 today (141.2x return)
Rank #3
AAPL
Apple
Price in 1996
$0.24
Value in 2025
$1,130,051
Apple - If you invested $1,000 in 1996, it would be worth $1,130,051 today (1130.1x return)
🦸 Top 5 Comics
Ultimate Spider-Man #1
$150
Superman: The Wedding Album
$150
Kingdom Come #1
$120
The Amazing Spider-Man #418
$4.00
Preacher #12
$150
🧸 Top 5 Toys
Tickle Me Elmo
$125.00
Beanie Babies
$10.00
Tamagotchi
$200.00
Space Jam Action Figures
$150.00
Nintendo 64
$300.00
🎮 Top 5 Video Games
Super Mario 64
$200.00
Tomb Raider
$200.00
Resident Evil
$243.85
Quake
$24.48
Pokã©Mon Red And Blue
$150.00
⚾ Top 5 Trading Cards
Charizard - Base Set (Shadowless) - 1st Edition
$300,000
Kobe Bryant Fleer Ultra Rookie Card
$1,200
Allen Iverson Topps Chrome Rookie Card
$3,000
Michael Jordan 1996 Skybox E-X2000 A Cut Above
$4,500
Delver Lens of Truth - 1996 Magic: The Gathering World Championship
$250,000