Inventions & Breakthroughs of February 2003
Gadgets, lab surprises, odd bets, and future-shocks from this slice of the calendar.
1 
Social Media Platform (MySpace)
2 
Voice Search Technology
3 
Electric Hybrid Vehicle (Prius)
4 
Online Video Streaming Platform
5 
3D Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
6 
Wi-Fi Home Routers
7 
Open-Source Web Browser (Firefox)
8 
Digital Rights Management Systems
9 
Medical Electronic Health Records
10 
Spam Filtering Algorithms
The Sounds of
Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year
HEADLINES ON February 25, 2003
Full News Archive
- Headline: WPP Group's Profit Decline in 2002. Impact: WPP Group's profit decline signaled the beginning of a long battle between advertising agencies and the rise of social media influencers, eventually leading to the day when your aunt's cat has more followers than the entire marketing department.. Fact: WPP's decline in profits was so dramatic that they considered hiring a psychic to predict the future of advertising. Spoiler alert: it involved more cat videos..
- Headline: 2 Rival Houses Said to Consider Bids to Acquire AOL Book Unit. Impact: The bidding war for AOL's book unit marked the beginning of the end for traditional publishing, leading to the eventual rise of e-books, where ‘buy one get one free’ is just a click away, and reading is done on devices that also distract you with cat memes.. Fact: This was back when AOL was still a relevant name in technology. Imagine a world where your internet connection was dependent on a free trial CD. Ah, nostalgia!.
- Headline: World Business Briefing | Asia: India: Industrial Growth Rises. Impact: India's industrial growth not only boosted the economy but also led to a surge in Bollywood films that glorify industry—where the hero builds a factory while simultaneously avoiding romantic entanglements. A true multitasker!. Fact: Did you know that the concrete industry’s growth was so impressive that it inspired a documentary titled 'Cement: The Unsung Hero'? Spoiler: it was a real flop!.
Wall Street Time Machine
The Right Call: If you'd invested $1,000 in any one of these companies in 2003, here's what the stored 2025 dataset estimates.
Rank #1
AAPL
Apple
Price in 2003
$0.22
2025 dataset value
$1,226,446
Apple - If you invested $1,000 in 2003, it would be worth $1,226,446 today (1226.4x return)
🦸 Top 5 Comics
The Walking Dead #1
$75
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume II #3
$50
Y: The Last Man #10
$80
1602 #1
$30
Green Arrow #26
$150
🧸 Top 5 Toys
Beyblade: Metal Fusion
$300.00
Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game
$300.00
RoboSapien
$200.00
Bratz Dolls
$150.00
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003 Series)
$200.00
🎮 Top 5 Video Games
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
$150.00
Call of Duty
$100.25
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
$609.50
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
$60.00
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
$80.00
⚾ Top 5 Trading Cards
LeBron James 2003-04 Topps Chrome Rookie Card #111
$250,000
2003-04 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection LeBron James Rookie Patch Auto #78
$2,400,000
2003-04 Topps Chrome Refractor Dwyane Wade Rookie Card #114
$1,504.99
2003-04 Upper Deck SP Authentic Carmelo Anthony Rookie Auto #148
$19,544
2003-04 Fleer Ultra Gold Medallion LeBron James Rookie Card #171
$800