Biography
Duke Ellington, born Edward Kennedy Ellington on April 29, 1899, in Washington, D.C., was an American composer, pianist, and bandleader who became one of the most influential figures in the history of jazz. His career spanned over five decades, and he composed thousands of songs, many of which have become jazz standards.
Growing up in a middle-class African American family, Ellington began studying piano at a young age. His mother, Daisy Kennedy Ellington, was a pianist and instilled a love for music in him. Despite briefly studying art at the Pratt Institute, Ellington's true passion was always music. He formed his first group, The Duke's Serenaders, in his late teens and began playing at local events.
In the 1920s, Ellington and his band, known as the Washingtonians, moved to New York City, where they began to gain recognition. They eventually became the house band at the Cotton Club, a famous Harlem nightclub, which significantly boosted their popularity. The Cotton Club
In 1906, Reginald Fessenden made the first AM radio broadcast on December 24th. This event marked a significant advancement in radio technology, paving the way for the modern broadcasting industry.
1929 - October 29 - Black Tuesday - Stock market crash - The Great Depression Begins - It lasted until 1941 (WW2)
1934 - The metal beverage can is invented (American Can Co., United States)
1940 - April - 1st electron microscope demonstrated (RCA), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
The microwave oven was invented accidentally in 1945 by Percy Spencer, a Raytheon engineer. While testing a magnetron, he noticed microwaves melted a candy bar in his pocket. Experimenting further, he discovered microwaves could cook food quickly. Raytheon patented the process, and by 1947, they built the first commercial microwave oven, called the 'Radarange.' Initially used in commercial settings, microwaves becomes affordable for home use by the 1960s and 1970s, revolutionizing cooking.
1962 - The Cuban Missile Crisis was a tense 13-day standoff in October 1962 between the United States and the Soviet Union over the installation of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles from the U.S. coast. The crisis is considered the closest the Cold War came to escalating into a full-scale nuclear war. It began when American spy planes discovered the missiles, leading to a U.S. naval blockade of Cuba and intense negotiations. The crisis ended when Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev agreed to remove the missiles in exchange for the U.S. promising not to invade Cuba and secretly agreeing to remove American missiles from Turkey.
1963 - I Have a Dream Speech - Martin Luther King's Address at March on Washington August 28, 1963.
June 17, 1972 – August 9, 1974 - Watergate Scandal began with the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., in 1972. Members of President Richard Nixon's administration attempted to cover up their involvement. The scandal led to the discovery of multiple abuses of power by the Nixon administration, the resignation of President Nixon in 1974, and the indictment of several administration officials.
1973 - January 22 - Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 and Doe v. Bolton, 410 U.S. 179: The U.S. Supreme Court declares that the Constitution protects women’s right to terminate an early pregnancy, thus making abortion legal in the U.S.
1973 - March 29 - The last United States soldier leaves Vietnam
The cell phone was invented by Martin Cooper of Motorola. On April 3, 1973, he made the first handheld mobile phone call with the Motorola DynaTAC. This device weighed 2.5 pounds and was 10 inches long, offering 30 minutes of talk time and requiring 10 hours to charge. The first commercial cell phone was released in 1983, revolutionizing communication and leading to the modern smartphones we use today.
Birth — 1899
Death — 1974
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