Inventions & Breakthroughs of December 2010
Gadgets, lab surprises, odd bets, and future-shocks from this slice of the calendar.
1 
Tablet Computer (iPad)
2 
4G LTE Commercial Networks
3 
Cloud Infrastructure Scaling
4 
Electric Vehicle Mass Market (Nissan Leaf)
5 
Social Media Photo Sharing (Instagram)
6 
Smart TV Platforms
7 
Voice-Controlled Smart Assistants Concept
8 
Online Ride-Hailing Concept
9 
Medical 3D Imaging Software
10 
Digital Learning Platforms
The Sounds of
Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year
HEADLINES ON December 17, 2010
Full News Archive
- Headline: FDA Rejects Avastin for Breast Cancer Treatment. Impact: The rejection of Avastin led to a butterfly effect where oncologists started looking for alternative treatments, eventually leading to breakthroughs in immunotherapy decades later. Who knew a rejected drug could spark such a revolution? Maybe they should have called it 'Avastin the Great'.. Fact: Did you know that 'Avastin' sounds like a superhero? Too bad it didn't save the day for breast cancer patients..
- Headline: Mark Twain’s Riverboat Ramblings Revealed. Impact: Twain's autobiography being released a century later caused a dramatic increase in the sale of smoking jackets and brandy, as aspiring writers tried to emulate his style. Little did they know, they were just marking time until Netflix adapted it into a mediocre series.. Fact: Did you know Twain's real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens? So, technically, he was a 'Clemens' before he was 'Twain'. Talk about a name change for the ages!.
- Headline: Congress Sends $801 Billion Tax Cut Bill to Obama. Impact: The $801 billion tax cut bill paved the way for a generation of politicians to believe their midnight votes were actually doing something important, which led to the decline of common sense in politics. Who knew that money could make people so sleep-deprived?. Fact: Did you know that $801 billion is a lot? Like, 'I could buy a small country' kind of a lot. But hey, at least it’s not going to waste, right? Oh wait....
- Headline: Bid to Repeal ‘Don’t Ask’ Law Draws Support in Senate. Impact: The support from three Republican senators shifted the military's policy on LGBTQ+ service members, leading to a slow but steady change in military culture. This paved the way for a future where military parades feature more sequins and less secrecy.. Fact: Did you know 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' was less about military strategy and more about awkward family dinners? Because who really wants to explain why Uncle Sam has a rainbow flag?.
Wall Street Time Machine
The Right Call: If you'd invested $1,000 in any one of these companies in 2010, here's what the stored 2025 dataset estimates.
Rank #1
TSLA
Tesla
Price in 2010
$1.59
2025 dataset value
$303,497
Tesla - If you invested $1,000 in 2010, it would be worth $303,497 today (303.5x return)
Rank #2
NVDA
NVIDIA
Price in 2010
$0.42
2025 dataset value
$410,895
NVIDIA - If you invested $1,000 in 2010, it would be worth $410,895 today (410.9x return)
🦸 Top 5 Comics
Batman and Robin #16
$300
The Walking Dead #78
$50
Morning Glories #1
$50
X-Men: Second Coming #1
$15
Thor #615
$1,200
🧸 Top 5 Toys
iPad
$90.00
Leapster Explorer
$75.00
Squinkies
$25.00
Sing-a-ma-jigs!
$75.00
Nerf N-Strike Stampede ECS
$150.00
🎮 Top 5 Video Games
Red Dead Redemption
$63.96
Mass Effect 2
$65.00
Super Mario Galaxy 2
$22.00
Call of Duty: Black Ops
$130.00
Limbo
Unknown
⚾ Notable Trading Cards
Stephen Strasburg 2010 Bowman Chrome Superfractor
$16,000
Mike Trout 2010 Bowman Chrome Prospects Autograph
$20,000
LeBron James & Kobe Bryant 2010 Panini National Treasures Dual Logoman
$250,000
Pikachu Illustrator 2010 Promo
$1,275,000