Thanks to the miracle of compound interest, stock splits, and bumper dividends, your parents could have set you up for life, or at the very least given you a significant headstart, had they invested in the right shares the year you were born, as long as they were prepared to be patient and hold on to the position. Click or scroll through the sensational returns you could have got from a prime stock (or in some cases another investment) for each year from 1940 to 2002, based on an initial investment of $1,000 ($18,600/£15,100 in today's money). All dollar values in US dollars.