Edison's phonograph recorded sound on tinfoil
Thomas Edison's 1877 phonograph, the world's first sound recorder, captured audio on tinfoil cylinders, forever changing how voices and music could be preserved and shared.
In 1877, Thomas Edison unveiled the phonograph, the first device capable of both recording and playing back sound. He discovered that sound vibrations could be etched onto a rotating cylinder covered in tinfoil, then replayed by tracing those grooves. His initial test famously captured "Mary Had a Little Lamb," astonishing onlookers with its clear playback.
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