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Today in History: Sullivan's “Lost Chord” debut on Edison phonograph

8/14/2026

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Summary

Story summary

On 14 August, London journalists heard one of the earliest public playbacks of a musical recording when Arthur Sullivan’s 1877 song “The Lost Chord” was sounded on Thomas Edison’s newly demonstrated phonograph. The demonstration proved the device could capture and reproduce human voice and music, marking a milestone in acoustic technology.

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Story summary

On 14 August, London journalists heard one of the earliest public playbacks of a musical recording when Arthur Sullivan’s 1877 song “The Lost Chord” was sounded on Thomas Edison’s newly demonstrated phonograph. The demonstration proved the device could capture and reproduce human voice and music, marking a milestone in acoustic technology.