Inventions & Breakthroughs of November 1999
Gadgets, lab surprises, odd bets, and future-shocks from this slice of the calendar.
1 
Smartphone Platform
2 
Wi-Fi Standard Expansion (802.11b)
3 
Online Payment Platform
4 
Search Engine Advertising Model
5 
MP3 Player Ecosystem
6 
Peer-to-Peer File Sharing
7 
Digital Video Recorder (DVR)
8 
Voice over IP Services
9 
Location-Based Services
10 
Online Gaming Platforms
The Sounds of
Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year
HEADLINES ON November 9, 1999
Full News Archive
- Headline: British Airways' Bold Financial Strategy. Impact: In a bizarre twist of fate, British Airways' decision to shrink its market share led to the rise of obscure budget airlines that now require you to pay extra for breathing. Thanks a lot, Robert J Ayling!. Fact: Did you know that 'dismal financial performance' is just corporate speak for 'we're losing money faster than a kid loses a toy in a ball pit'?.
- Headline: New Insights on Early American Inhabitants. Impact: The shake-up in archaeological theories about the peopling of the Americas led to a nationwide obsession with ancestry tests, making everyone suddenly believe they were 1% Native American. Spoiler alert: they're probably not.. Fact: Did you know that before this discovery, the 'Clovis First' theory was like the popular kid in school? Turns out the nerdy artifacts were just waiting for their moment to shine!.
- Headline: Arts Abroad; Celebrating the Capture Of Another Glorious Space. Impact: As James Ivory and Ismail Merchant captured another space for their film, they unknowingly set off a chain reaction of other filmmakers thinking they could recreate magic, leading to the abomination known as 'remakes of remakes.'. Fact: Fun fact: Helmingham Hall is so picturesque that it could probably make a documentary about the life of a potato look riveting. Talk about cinematic magic!.
Wall Street Time Machine
The Right Call: If you'd invested $1,000 in any one of these companies in 1999, here's what the stored 2025 dataset estimates.
Rank #2
AAPL
Apple
Price in 1999
$0.31
2025 dataset value
$880,068
Apple - If you invested $1,000 in 1999, it would be worth $880,068 today (880.1x return)
🦸 Top 5 Comics
Batman: Harley Quinn #1
$35.00
The Authority #1
$75
Planetary #1
$1,200
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace #1
$200
Bluntman and Chronic #1
$15
🧸 Top 5 Toys
LEGO Star Wars Sets
$150.00
Pokemon Trading Card Game
$150.00
Furby
$30.00
Razor Scooter
$150.00
Beyblade
$700.00
🎮 Top 5 Video Games
Super Smash Bros.
$500.00
Silent Hill
$147.48
Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings
$750.00
Final Fantasy VIII
$200.00
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
$200.00
⚾ Top 5 Trading Cards
1999 Pokémon Base Set 1st Edition Charizard Holo #4
$1,655
1999 Bandai Dragon Ball Z Japanese Prism Card #PP-06 (Son Goku Super Saiyan)
Unknown
1999 Sports Illustrated for Kids Tiger Woods #536
$20,400
1999 Wizards of the Coast Magic: The Gathering 'Urza's Legacy' Foil Grim Monolith
$250
1999 Pokémon Japanese Promo Tropical Mega Battle Tropical Wind
$65,100