Inventions & Breakthroughs of November 2002
Gadgets, lab surprises, odd bets, and future-shocks from this slice of the calendar.
1 
Robotic Vacuum Cleaner
2 
Smartphone with Touch Interface
3 
Web Services APIs
4 
Social Networking Platform (Friendster)
5 
Online Payment Expansion
6 
Wi-Fi Security Standard (WPA)
7 
Digital Audio Streaming
8 
Medical Robotic Surgery Expansion
9 
High-Definition Digital Television
10 
Location-Based Mobile Services
The Sounds of
Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year
HEADLINES ON November 21, 2002
Full News Archive
- Headline: Criminal Inquiry into Computer Associates. Impact: The inquiry into Computer Associates set off a chain reaction of tech accountability, leading to the eventual birth of countless memes about corporate greed, and a few reality TV shows about disgraced CEOs. Who knew a grand jury could be the beginning of a meme revolution?. Fact: Did you know that the term 'grand jury' sounds like something out of a medieval fantasy? If only they had capes and swords instead of subpoenas!.
- Headline: BMW's Bold Design Philosophy Under Bangle. Impact: Bangle's design decisions at BMW kicked off a wave of automotive aesthetics that led to the creation of cars that look like melted toasters. The automotive world has never been the same since—thank you, Christopher Bangle, for transforming our roads into an art exhibit of questionable taste.. Fact: Fun fact: The only thing more polarizing than BMW's new designs is the debate over pineapple on pizza. At least one of them is still edible..
- Headline: Vaccine Breakthrough against Cervical Cancer. Impact: The cervical cancer vaccine opened up a whole new world of vaccinations, where suddenly everyone’s a medical expert on HPV and conspiracy theories about vaccines abounded. Who knew a few shots could lead to endless Facebook debates?. Fact: Did you know that cervical cancer was once regarded with less attention than a fly buzzing around the room? Thanks to this vaccine, it's now a hot topic at family gatherings—right up there with politics and who's bringing the potato salad..
- Headline: World Business Briefing | Americas: Brazil: Bank Raises Rate. Impact: Brazil's interest rate hike triggered an economic rollercoaster. It was like the world's most dramatic game of financial limbo—how low can you go? Spoiler alert: they went high, and everyone still ended up dizzy.. Fact: Did you know that raising interest rates is sort of like putting salt on a slug? It seems easy, but things tend to get messy quickly, and you end up with a lot of sticky situations..
Wall Street Time Machine
The Right Call: If you'd invested $1,000 in any one of these companies in 2002, here's what the stored 2025 dataset estimates.
Rank #1
NFLX
Netflix
Price in 2002
$0.12
2025 dataset value
$785,671
Netflix - If you invested $1,000 in 2002, it would be worth $785,671 today (785.7x return)
Rank #2
AAPL
Apple
Price in 2002
$0.35
2025 dataset value
$779,032
Apple - If you invested $1,000 in 2002, it would be worth $779,032 today (779.0x return)
🦸 Top 5 Comics
The Ultimates #1
$25
Y: The Last Man #1
$300
New X-Men #128
$50.00
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume 2 #1
$30
Spider-Man: Blue #1
$200
🧸 Top 5 Toys
Beyblade (Metal Series)
$250.00
Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game
$150.00
LEGO Bionicle
$150.00
Bratz Dolls
$150.00
RoboSapien
$200.00
🎮 Top 5 Video Games
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
$400.00
Metroid Prime
$22.98
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
$100.00
Kingdom Hearts
$120.00
Battlefield 1942
$50.47
⚾ Top 5 Trading Cards
Yu-Gi-Oh! Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon 1st Edition Blue-Eyes White Dragon
$10,000
2002 Pokémon Neo Destiny Shining Charizard
$250,000
2002 Topps Chrome Tom Brady Refractor
$200,000
2002 Magic: The Gathering Set Foil Charmed Griffin
$20
2002 FIFA World Cup Ronaldo Panini Sticker
$28,800