Inventions & Breakthroughs of August 1998
Gadgets, lab surprises, odd bets, and future-shocks from this slice of the calendar.
1 
Search Engine (Google)
2 
Wi-Fi Consumer Routers
3 
Digital Music Store Concept
4 
Satellite Radio
5 
Online File Sharing
6 
Web-Based Email Interface
7 
Flat-Panel LCD Monitors
8 
Medical Robotic Surgery System
9 
Electronic Ink Display
10 
Online Review Platforms
The Sounds of
Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year
HEADLINES ON August 18, 1998
Full News Archive
- Headline: Leptospirosis Outbreak Linked to Triathlon. Fact: Leptospirosis is sometimes referred to as 'swamp fever' due to its association with wet, marshy environments where the bacteria thrive..
Wall Street Time Machine
The Right Call: If you'd invested $1,000 in any one of these companies in 1998, here's what the stored 2025 dataset estimates.
Rank #2
AAPL
Apple
Price in 1998
$0.12
2025 dataset value
$2,234,025
Apple - If you invested $1,000 in 1998, it would be worth $2,234,025 today (2234.0x return)
Rank #3
AMZN
Amazon
Price in 1998
$0.25
2025 dataset value
$914,661
Amazon - If you invested $1,000 in 1998, it would be worth $914,661 today (914.7x return)
🦸 Top 5 Comics
The Authority #1
$100
300 #1
$300
Hellboy: The Chained Coffin and Others
$30
Transformers: Generation 2 #12
$165
Inhumans #1
$150
🧸 Top 5 Toys
Furby
$30.00
Pokémon Trading Card Game
$150.00
Bionicle
$300.00
Game Boy Color
$150.00
Beanie Babies
$10.00
🎮 Top 5 Video Games
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
$150.00
Half-Life
$140.33
Metal Gear Solid
$45.00
StarCraft
$200.00
Resident Evil 2
$243.85
⚾ Top 5 Trading Cards
1998 Pokémon 1st Edition Charizard Holo
$500,000
1998 Kobe Bryant Skybox Premium Autographics
$2,500
1998 Magic: The Gathering Gaius Cradle
$60,000
1998 Michael Jordan Upper Deck Game Jersey
$2,700,000
1998 One Piece Romance Dawn Promo
$7,000