Inventions & Breakthroughs of August 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 August 2, 2003
Full News Archive
- Headline: NCAA Leadership and Ongoing Challenges. Impact: Myles Brand's questionable leadership led to a series of NCAA scandals, each more ridiculous than the last, culminating in a reality show starring disgraced athletes. Who knew failure could be so entertaining?. Fact: Fun fact: The NCAA motto is 'We promise to reform... eventually.' It’s a really long motto..
- Headline: Witness Credibility Dispute in MCI Investigation. Impact: The MCI inquiry became a precedent for future corporate whistleblowers, leading to an era where 'snitching' was no longer viewed as treason but as a career move. Thanks, James Krutchen!. Fact: Did you know that in the corporate world, honesty is the best policy... as long as you don’t get caught?.
- Headline: G.O.P. Senator Criticizes Bush On Liberia Case. Impact: Senator Warner's criticism of Bush's plans resulted in Congress becoming so hesitant about military interventions that they considered sending troops only if they could all agree on a pizza topping first.. Fact: Fun fact: Congress is actually a great place for debates—about everything except the issues that matter..
- Headline: Ancient Art at Met Raises Old Ethical Questions. Impact: The ethical questions raised by the Metropolitan Museum led to a global movement in art repatriation, inspiring future collectors to return their questionable acquisitions—if they could remember where they got them.. Fact: Did you know that the Met's art collection is so vast that it includes a piece by a famous artist who was never actually famous? That's called 'artistic irony'!.
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