9 Great Products Launched in Downturns

Who says the worst recession since the 1930s means you can't debut a great product? The Huffington Post lists 9 hugely successful ones launched in tough economic times:

• iPod: Apple unveiled it less than 2 months after the September 11 attacks, amid the resulting recession.
• Microsoft Office: Bill Gates launched it at the end of the downturn of the late '80s, and HuffPo notes that the company itself began amid recession in 1975.

• Dawn Liquid Soap: This most popular of dish soaps debuted during the market panic caused by the 1974 oil embargo.
• Hershey Kisses: This iconic sweet was unveiled during the Panic of 1907, when the stock market lost 50% of its value.

Click here for the full list. (More iPod stories.)