Inventions & Breakthroughs of July 2001
Gadgets, lab surprises, odd bets, and future-shocks from this slice of the calendar.
1 
Portable Music Player (iPod)
2 
Wi-Fi Public Hotspots
3 
Online Encyclopedia (Wikipedia)
4 
3G Mobile Networks
5 
Cloud Computing Concept
6 
Digital Video Compression (H.264)
7 
Online Photo Sharing
8 
Instant Messaging Platforms
9 
Tablet Computer Concept
10 
Satellite Broadband Internet
The Sounds of
Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year
HEADLINES ON July 12, 2001
Full News Archive
- Headline: Authors Win Digital Rights Legal Battle. Impact: The ruling on digital book rights ignited a fierce battle between authors and tech companies, resulting in a series of bizarre lawsuits that included a case where an author sued a toaster for copyright infringement on its 'toast' algorithm. Spoiler: the toaster won.. Fact: Did you know that 'book' originally referred only to physical objects made of paper? But now, thanks to digital rights, it encompasses everything from eBooks to your great aunt's unsettling collection of cat memes. Progress!.
- Headline: Gracie Mansion Needs Attention, But Whose?; Mayor's Marital Dispute Extends to Peeling Paint. Impact: The peeling paint of Gracie Mansion became a symbol of political neglect, leading to a viral meme campaign that ironically boosted support for Mayor Giuliani. In a shocking turn, his marriage woes inspired a bestselling romance novel series titled 'Love in the Time of Peeling Paint.'. Fact: Did you know that homes can actually fall apart if you ignore them long enough? It's like a metaphor for relationships, but with more paint and fewer heartfelt conversations..
Wall Street Time Machine
The Right Call: If you'd invested $1,000 in any one of these companies in 2001, here's what the stored 2025 dataset estimates.
Rank #3
AAPL
Apple
Price in 2001
$0.22
2025 dataset value
$1,220,264
Apple - If you invested $1,000 in 2001, it would be worth $1,220,264 today (1220.3x return)
🦸 Top 5 Comics
Amazing Spider-Man #36
$200
Ultimate Spider-Man #1
$50
Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again #1
$50
Y: The Last Man #1
$150
American Gods #1
$25
🧸 Top 5 Toys
LEGO BIONICLE
$150.00
Nintendo Game Boy Advance
$540.00
Harry Potter Movie Merchandise (Action Figures)
$120.00
Bratz Dolls
$150.00
Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game
$100.00
🎮 Top 5 Video Games
Halo: Combat Evolved
$100.00
Grand Theft Auto III
$200.00
Super Smash Bros. Melee
$74.00
Final Fantasy X
$200.00
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
$25.00
⚾ Top 5 Trading Cards
Yu-Gi-Oh! Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon - 1st Edition Blue-Eyes White Dragon
$10,000
2001 Topps Chrome Traded #T247 Ichiro Suzuki Rookie Card
$471
2001 Upper Deck Tiger Woods #1 Rookie Card
$25,100
2001 Pokémon Neo Revelation 1st Edition Holo Houndoom #8
$1,200
2001 SP Authentic Michael Jordan #MM1 Auto Jersey
$40,000