What Happened on February 19?

February 19 is when Edison patented the phonograph — the first machine to record AND play back sound! It's also the birthday of Copernicus, who figured out Earth circles the Sun.

• 1878 — Edison patents the phonograph

  U.S. Patent No. 200,521 went to Thomas Edison for the phonograph — the first device that could record sound and play it back, launching the entire music industry. Read the full story →

• 1942 — Executive Order 9066 signed — Japanese American incarceration begins

  President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which led to the forced removal of about 120,000 Japanese Americans from the West Coast into prison camps during World War II. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543) · Smokey Robinson (1940) · Amy Tan (1952) · Jeff Kinney (1971) · Chappell Roan (1998) · Millie Bobby Brown (2004)

Days & observances

National Chocolate Mint Day