Inventions & Breakthroughs of December 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 December 31, 2003
Full News Archive
- Headline: Selections Made for 9/11 Memorial Designs. Impact: The debate over the 9/11 memorial designs gave rise to an entire generation of armchair architects and critics, who now believe they can design a better memorial from their couches.. Fact: Did you know that selecting a design for a memorial is more politically fraught than picking a prom theme? Who knew granite could be so controversial?.
- Headline: Parmalat Founder Says He Knew of Losses. Impact: Tanzi's admission sparked a wave of corporate scandals, each one more shocking than the last, leading to the creation of an award for 'Best Company Collapse'—because who doesn’t love a good trainwreck?. Fact: Fun fact: If you ever feel bad about your financial choices, just remember that Tanzi had a hole of 8 billion euros and still managed to look surprised..
- Headline: Rose May Say In New Book That He Bet On Baseball. Impact: Rose's potential admission might have led to a surge in baseball betting, transforming the sport into a reality show where the players are less concerned about the game and more about their betting odds.. Fact: Did you know that betting on baseball is like trying to cook a soufflé? One wrong move and everything collapses spectacularly!.
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