1877 - Thomas Edison announces his invention of the phonograph, a machine that can record sound, considered Edison's first great invention. Edison demonstrates the device for the first time on November 29.

November 21, 1877
Thomas Edison announces his "talking machine" invention (phonograph), the 1st machine to play and record sound. onthisday.com

The Phonograph.
The Scientific American contains the first announcement of what may be the most wonderful invention of the day - Edison's Phonograph. The Sun says that nothing could be more incredible than the likelihood of once more hearing the voice of the dead, yet the invention of the new instrument is said to render this possible. Hereafter it is true that the voice is stilled, but whoever has spoken or whoever may speak into the mouth-piece of the Phonograph and whose words are recorded by it has the assurance that his speech may be produced audibly in his own tones long after he himself has turned to dust. A strip of indented paper travels through the little machine and the sounds of the voice are magnified by it and positively sentenced and hence is heard as plainly as if it were presented speech.