History's Best Selling Tech of 1878

Extra! Extra! Step right up to inspect the definitive collection of first-rate tech releases from 1878. Discover the genuine articles of American ingenuity that captured the public's fancy and won nationwide acclaim during this historic era.

1. Phonograph

   Released in 1878 by Thomas Edison

   On February 19, 1878, the world of technology was formally changed forever when Thomas A. Edison was granted U.S. Patent 200,521 for his 'Phonograph or Speaking Machine.' While Edison and his team had successfully demonstrated the device in late 1877, this date marks the official legal recognition and protection of his groundbreaking invention. The patent secured his claim to the first practical device capable of both recording and reproducing sound. This pivotal event transformed the phonograph from a laboratory marvel, famously tested with the nursery rhyme 'Mary Had a Little Lamb,' into a commercially viable piece of intellectual property, setting the stage for the birth of the entire recording industry.