Today we’re dialing the time machine to January 24th, 1984. Today, we got an answer to what Apple teased during a wild Super Bowl commercial just two days prior.

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Now let’s take a trip to 1984. 🚀

January 24th, 1984 📆

January 24th, 1984 changed the world of technology forever. Apple officially released the Macintosh 128K computer, the world’s first mass-market personal computer with a GUI (graphic user interface). Despite its astronomical price tag of $2,495 (equivalent to $7,500 in 2025), Apple sold 70,000 units in the first 3.5 months. Without getting too deep into the weeds of the tech specs, I’ll share just one crazy stat: the original Macintosh had 128 KB RAM of memory. The iPhone 16, which you may be reading this newsletter on as we speak, has 8,000,000 KB RAM (8 GB). 🤯

Perhaps the most notable memory from the Macintosh 128K computer was its announcement. Two days earlier, during the broadcast of Super Bowl XVII, Apple aired a television commercial directed by the acclaimed Ridley Scott introducing the computer. The ad was a reference to George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-Four and featured a heroine saving humanity from “conformity” in a dystopian universe. Many suspected IBM was the villain in the ad.

Go ahead and draw your own conclusions. 👇

Take Me Back ⏮️

🎤 What we’re singing: “Owner of a Lonely Heart” by Yes

🎥 What we’re watching: The best soap opera of all time: Dynasty

🕹️ What we’re playing: Running the 100m dash on Track & Field

👦 Who we’re following: Prince was king. And Purple Rain hadn’t even come out yet.

🥤 What we’re drinking: Slice Soda, which featured 10% real fruit juice!

🍽️ What we’re eating: Jell-O Pudding Pops 👇

Just For Fun 🙃

1984 was arguably one of the greatest years in cinema history. Don’t believe me? Check out the top five highest-grossing films of that year:

1. Beverly Hills Cop ($234,760,478)

2. Ghostbusters ($229,242,989)

3. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom ($179,870,271)

4. Gremlins ($153,083,102)

5. The Karate Kid ($90,815,558)

Speaking of classic movies, you need to check out Rewatching. Their goal is to foster creative conversation and community over a shared love of popular film franchises. A rewatch guide to Lord of the Rings is coming next week. 👀

OOTD On This Day 🧢

Denim. Men wore denim. Women wore denim. Kids wore denim. Madonna wore denim.

Happy Birthday 🎂

Music legend Neil Diamond turned 43 years old today. Oh, he also wore denim.

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