jan 1, 1877 - Thomas Edison invents the phonograph, capable of recording and playing back sound

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Edison was exceptionally inquisitive, and while tinkering with the telegraph transmitter he discovered that when played back at high speeds, the tape sounded like spoken words. He figured out that the human voice, and other sounds, could cause a light material plate to vibrate. And, when properly placed, a needle could indent the plate, recording the vibrations, and found that yet another needle could play them back. He eventually rigged a tinfoil cylinder and a stylus with which he recorded, "Mary Had a Little Lamb."

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