Phonograph invented by Thomas Alva Edison
On this day in 1877, American inventor Thomas Alva Edison made perhaps his most original discovery, the phonograph, and his early recordings were indentations embossed into a sheet of tinfoil by a vibrating stylus. 1877.
During a press conference, John Lennon of the Beatles apologized for saying that his band was “more popular than Jesus now”; the comment had sparked protests and album burnings. 1966.
East Germany began construction of the Berlin Wall, which served as a symbol of the Cold War, separating East Berlin from West Berlin until 1989. 1961.
Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr.—U.S. naval pilot, son of Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr., and brother of President John F. Kennedy—died in a plane crash while flying on a secret mission during World War II. 1944.
The last known quagga, a type of zebra native to South Africa, died in the Amsterdam zoo. 1883
Isaac Merrit Singer patented his sewing machine and formed I.M. Singer & Company to market the product. 1851.
