Totally Rad! 12 Awesome Fun Facts About the 80s You Never Knew

1. First Mobile Phone: DynaTAC's $3,995 Heavyweight Champ

Once upon a time in the stone age of technology, when owning a cell phone made you look wealthier than a Monopoly millionaire and bulkier than a wrestler on steroids: the first commercially available mobile phone, the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X, weighed over two pounds and cost a whopping $3,995. In all its pricey, gargantuan glory, it changed the way we communicate and set the stage for the slim and savvy smartphones that dominate our world today.
Source => webdesignerdepot.com

2. Microsoft Paint: The Birth of Digital Doodles

Before aspiring Da Vincis could doodle disasters with a click of a button, a little-known software stepped up to the canvas: Microsoft Paint, a licensed version of PC Paintbrush by ZSoft Corporation, first graced our screens with Windows 1.0 in November 1985, going head-to-head with Macintosh's MacPaint and forever changing our pixelated artistic pursuits.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

Discover the stylish secret behind the fashionable faux feathers that flappers flaunted in the 1920s, keeping our winged friends safe and sound while looking absolutely fabulous! 🐦💃✨

=> Fun Facts about The-1920s

3. Pac-Man Fever: $14 Billion Worth of Power Pellets

In a decade where humans chomped on power pellets to chase ghosts back to their home, one yellow fellow became an undisputed worldwide phenomenon: Pac-Man raked in over $14 billion in revenue, sold 43 million units, and spun-offs into sequels, merchandise, and two television series, eventually becoming Bandai Namco Entertainment's official mascot.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

4. Shoulder Pad Power Play: The 80s Armor for Women

In the era of hair bands and “power” suits, even the shoulders donned their own battle armor: Shoulder pads were a massive fashion trend during the 80s, often worn by women seeking a strong and sophisticated look, but resulting in a frumpier appearance instead.
Source => eightieskids.com

5. Rolodex: The Wheel of Fortunate Contacts

Before smartphones and "Siri, call mom" became a thing, spinning a wheel was how you rolled with your contacts: The Rolodex, a rotating wheel with removable cards, was the go-to organizational tool in the 80s for keeping track of contacts and phone numbers. So iconic it became that companies filed lawsuits against former employees accused of taking their Rolodex with them, as it held valuable information. However, our tech-savvy world eventually flipped this wheel into obsolescence.
Source => nbcnews.com

6. 80s Tech Explosion: Phones, CDs, and PCs Galore

Ah, the glorious '80s, when big hair ruled and people were just a tad "radical" about their newfound love for compact discs and brick-sized mobile phones: This colorful decade witnessed the birth of the first mobile phone, CD player, and commercially available personal computer, propelling humanity headfirst into the dynamic digital age we now consider our virtual playground.
Source => medium.com

7. Cellular Car Phones: Brokers on the Road

Who you gonna call? Your broker, of course, to free up some funds for that snazzy new cellular car phone of the 80s: These talkative gadgets were introduced in the United States and cost an average of $700, not including additional installation and monthly service fees, with strategically placed city antennas providing a clearer calling experience for wheel-bound businesspeople.
Source => wesh.com

8. Boombox Invasion: The Sonic Beasts on Our Shoulders

In an era when size truly mattered and "packing some serious bass" could mean lugging around a sonic beast on your shoulder: Boomboxes burst onto the scene in the 1980s, popularized by major Japanese brands like JVC, Sharp, Conion, and SANYO, which crafted these portable (if debatably so) music players capable of playing analog tunes and featured mega amplifiers and room for a battery bonanza of about eight to ten power cells, making it clear that some trends truly transcend generational barriers as boombox fever swept through the nation.
Source => stereoboombox.com

9. Ninja Turtle Mania: Cash Cowabunga, Dude!

Cowabunga, dudes! In the 80's, pizza-loving, crime-fighting reptiles were all the rage: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise raked in $1.1 billion in action figure sales between 1988 and 1992, emerging as the third-bestselling toy figures during that time. This gnarly success was backed by their radical animated series, bodacious live-action movies, and totally tubular video games developed by Konami.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

10. Val-Speak: Gag Me With A Catchphrase

If you've ever found yourself in need of a spoontaneous reaction to abhorrence, the 80s had you covered: Valley Girls in San Fernando, California popularized the phrase "gag me with a spoon" as a whimsical way to express disgust or annoyance, becoming part of the iconic "val-speak" during that era.
Source => 7esl.com

11. Zombies & Typing: The Undead Edutainment Revolution

Zombies and keyboards, the ultimate power couple: In the 80s, edutainment games took a spooky spin with "Typing of the Dead," which taught typing skills through a zombie shooter arcade game, eventually inspiring others to teach coding through games akin to a turn-based strategy of code-commanded orders.
Source => reddit.com

12. 80s Gym Disco: A Spandex-Fueled Workout Wonderland

In the 1980s, gyms became a kaleidoscope of neon Spandex and legs were "warmed up" for a workout, making it a decade where going to the gym could have been mistaken for attending an 80s-themed disco party: This amusing era saw a surge in the use of spandex (or elastane) in activewear produced by the likes of Lycra®, the leotard's transformation into a fashionable women's workout attire, and the leg warmer's ascent to popularity as an essential layering piece during exercise routines. While these colorful fashion statements were all the rage back then, their resurrection in today's modern fashion world can be credited to none other than the TikTok trend.
Source => glamourdaze.com