Today in 1878, Thomas Edison’s patent for the phonograph was published. With it someone could speak into the bell of the phonograph, making the diaphragm vibrate and the vibrations etched the message with a needle onto a cylinder of tinfoil. Once the etched cylinder was made, it could only be played three to five times before it became unplayable because the tinfoil was too soft to withstand wear and tear.
Later versions that used wax cylinders had a longer lifespan, but the key innovation was the invention of shellac records, which brought on-demand music to American households. Even today, millions of people enjoy playing vinyl records using a needle and diaphragm system inspired by Edison’s phonograph.
Today in 1968, Fred Rogers premiered his children’s show “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” on national television. With the help of his wife, Joanne Rogers, he filmed his show to provide a calm and secure space for children to learn about tough topics.
In the show, one of the more renowned episodes is when François Clemmons played Officer Clemmons and shared a kiddie pool with Rogers. This marks the first time a person of color held a recurring role on a children’s television program, according to NPR.
After Fred Rogers passed away in 2003, PBS aired reruns until 2007, but today, “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” has inspired shows that still run today, like “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,” “Super Why!” and “Word World.”
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