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 27, 1999
Full News Archive
- Headline: Debate Over Appellate Court Relocation. Impact: If this Court move had gone through, Waterbury might have become the new judicial capital, leading to a massive influx of judges and lawyers who would have turned the once quiet town into a legal battleground. Imagine the epic courtroom dramas unfolding on Main Street!. Fact: Hartford's lawyers are probably still sulking in their cramped offices, wondering how they can file a complaint about their own complaints..
- Headline: Tragic Newark Plane Crash Claims Three Lives. Impact: This tragic event likely led to stricter regulations and safety measures for private planes, transforming the aviation industry. What started as a family tragedy might have saved countless lives in the future—thanks, Newark!. Fact: In a bizarre twist of fate, this incident may have led to the invention of the 'air traffic control' panic button, which sounds just like a regular panic button but with a really sharp 'ding!'.
- Headline: A Deft Maestro Who Got Ulster To Harmonize. Impact: Mitchell's peace talks could have been the start of a new era where politicians actually learned to collaborate, leading to harmony in global politics. But let’s be real, that’s about as likely as finding a unicorn in your backyard.. Fact: George J. Mitchell could probably negotiate peace between cats and dogs if given enough time and, let's be honest, a good supply of treats..
- Headline: Sports of The Times; Violence During Play, Not After It. Impact: Banning throat slashing gestures might have sparked a revolution in sportsmanship, leading to a future where sports are played without any gestures at all—just silent, awkward nods and high fives.. Fact: Next thing you know, the NFL will be banning all expressions of emotion. We'll be left with a league full of robots playing football in complete silence. Sounds thrilling, right?.
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