“The Simpsons” debuts
Since its debut, 640 episodes of The Simpsons have been broadcast. It is the longest-running American sitcom, and the longest-running American scripted primetime television series in terms of seasons and number of episodes.
Arts, music, literature & entertainment
The Fraunhofer Institut Integrierte Schaltungen in Germany begins research leading to invention of the MP3
By using MPEG audio coding, MP3s shrink down the original sound data from a CD by a factor of 12, without losing sound quality.
Michael Jackson releases “Thriller”, one of the highest selling albums of all time
The critically acclaimed album sold more than 100 million copies worldwide, won a record-breaking eight Grammy Awards and broke down racial barriers on radio and television networks like MTV.
George Lucas’ iconic film Star Wars debuts in theaters around the world
Star Wars was released in theatres in the United States on May 25, 1977. It earned $461 million in the U.S. and $314 million overseas, totaling $775 million. It surpassed Jaws (1975) to become the highest-grossing film of all time.
The Beatles perform on the Ed Sullivan Show
It is estimated that 73 million Americans were watching that night as the Beatles made their live U.S. television debut.
Robert Moog invents the world’s first commercial musical synthesizer
In 1964, Moog began creating the Moog synthesizer. The synthesizer was composed of separate modules which created and shaped sounds, connected by patch cords.
James Joyce’s iconic modernist novel Ulysses published
It is considered one of the most important works of modernist literature and has been called “a demonstration and summation of the entire movement.”
Tango becomes a global sensation
Initially, it was just one of the many dances, but it soon became popular throughout society, as theatres and street barrel organs spread it from the suburbs to the working-class slums.
The 12-minute-long silent film, The Great Train Robbery becomes the first narrative movie ever
The Great Train Robbery’s popularity led directly to the opening up of permanent movie theaters and the possibility of a future film industry.
Vincent Van Gogh paints “The Starry Night”
Largely self-taught, van Gogh produced more than 2,000 oil paintings, watercolors, drawings, and sketches, which became in demand only after his death.