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Marconi received the first transatlantic radio signal in 1901, Mona Lisa was recovered in 1913, Apple went public in 1980, Helmsley was sentenced to prison in 1989, China and USSR resumed diplomatic relations in 1932, Beethoven had his first music lesson in 1792, the first motel was established in 1925, and the modern golf tee was patented in 1899.
The first transatlantic radio signal has been sent and received. (1901) Guglielmo Marconi received the first transatlantic radio signal: the Morse code for the letter “s”. The message was sent by Marconi’s associates in Cornwall, England to Marconi who was at his station in Newfoundland, nearly 2,000 miles (over 3,000 km) away. He was later awarded the Nobel Prize for his achievements.
The Mona Lisa has been recovered. (1913) The painting had been stolen two years earlier by a former worker at the Louvre, Vincenzo Peruggia. The painting was recovered from Peruggia’s hotel room in Florence, where he worked as a waiter.
Apple Corporation has gone public. (1980) The stock sold out in minutes and more than 40 Apple employees became instant millionaires thanks to their stock options. It was the largest IPO since Ford went public in 1956.
Leona Helmsley was sentenced to four years in prison. (1989) Known as the “Evil Queen,” Helmsley and her husband owned more than $10 billion US dollars (USD) in real estate, but refused to pay the taxes, since, as Helmsley famously said, “Only the little ones pay taxes.” She and her husband are being sued for more than $7 million dollars.
United States copyright law has been changed to include software. (1980) The Computer Software Copyright Act of 1980 changed US copyright law to explicitly include software. It also allowed limited copying of computer programs by the “righteous owner”.
China and the USSR resumed diplomatic relations. (1932) The two countries had ended their diplomatic relations three years earlier after the Sino-Soviet conflict over the Manchurian Eastern Railway.
One of Da Vinci’s notebooks sold for over $5 million dollars. (1980) Oil magnate Armand Hammer bought the notebook at a Christie’s auction and he was said to be glad he got it so cheap. The notebook contained over 300 notes and drawings, dating back to 1508.
Beethoven is said to have had his first music lesson. (1792) Beethoven was in his early twenties at the time and received lessons from the “father of the symphony” and the famous musician Franz Joseph Hayden.
The first motel was established in the United States. (1925) Architect Arthur Heinman created the portmanteau “motel” from the term “motor hotel”. He built the first motel, the Motel Inn, in San Luis Obispo, California. While no longer used as a motel, some of the original motel buildings still stand as a landmark near California’s Route 101.
The golf tee has been patented. (1899) Dentist George Grant designed and patented the modern golf tee, which lifts a golf ball slightly off the ground. This added height gives the golfer better control over his shot. Before the invention of the golf tee, golfers often made a small pile of dirt or sand to serve as a tee.
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