We would never have all of the amazing things we rely on today without the discoveries of the past. Here are some notable tech advances that occurred in July.
July 1 – The Walkman went on sale for the first time on July 1, 1979. Masaru Ibuka, was the Chairman of Sony and a music lover who traveled a great deal. He requested that the Sony team create a device that allowed him to take his favorite music with him and was more portable than the current offerings. It took only four months to get a market ready gadget that was priced at $150. Kids of today would scoff at the bulky design and the accompanying cassette tapes but the Walkman was a huge step forward and a sign of what was to come.
July 3 – One of the major building blocks that helped create the world we know today, occurred on this day in 1969. UCLA issued a press release about the creation of a nationwide computer network that wouldn’t be limited by computer model or machine language. UCLA would be the first station in this new network that would be the basis for today’s internet.
July 29 – AT&T had spent years running lines from coast-to-coast leading to July 29, 1914 when the first transcontinental phone call was made. Commercial service began in January of the following year with a grand unveiling at the 1915 World Fair in San Francisco.
