5 centuries of bubbles and bursts
History is replete with financial frenzies that seem ridiculous in hindsight, but were viewed as anything but at the time.
The advent of radio technology fostered a dotcom-style boom in the roaring '20s. The biggest example: Radio Corp. of America. RCA's shares soared from $1 to $573 between 1921 and 1929. The stock then fell more than 95%.
NEXT: 1959: Electronics