Thomas Alva Edison with his cylinder phonograph in 1878.

Thomas Edison is known for his many inventions, but his favorite was the
phonograph which was created while working on improvements to the
telegraph and the telephone. He figured out a way to record sound on
tinfoil-coated cylinders with two needles, one for recording and one
for playback. His first words he recorded on the new machine were,
”Mary had a little lamb”.

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CARLATA BRADLEY

Last combat troops began leaving Vietnam on this day in 1972.

Joseph Patrick "Joe" Kennedy Jr. (July 25, 1915 – August 12, 1944)

Joseph Kennedy, Jr was a United States Navy lieutenant. He was killed in action
during World War II while serving as a land-based patrol bomber pilot and was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. He was the oldest brother of John F.
Kennedy. Joseph was the only Kennedy son who never sought political office.

New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey (left) resigned after revealing
that he was gay on this day in 2004.  

The Russian nuclear submarine Kursk sank and its 118-man crew
died during naval exercises in the Barents Sea on this day in 2000.

Wreck of the Kursk on a floating dock at Roslyakovo.

Cecil Blount DeMille (August 12, 1881 – January 21, 1959)

Cecil B. DeMille was a filmmaker who made a total of 70 features, both
silent and sound films between 1913 and 1956. He is acknowledged as
a founding father of American cinema and the most successful producer-    
director in film history. His films were distinguished by their epic scale
and by his cinematic showmanship.   

1956