Did you know that the first Sony Walkman debuted in Japan on July 1, 1979? The Sony Walkman is one of the few inventions that truly changed the way we listen to our music and deserves a place alongside radio, the phonograph (record player), CD, and MP3 compression.

According to Wikipedia, the device was designed in 1978 by audio division engineer Nobutoshi Kihara for Sony co-chairman Akio Morita, who wanted to listen to operas during his frequent plane trips. Morita hated the name “Walkman” and wanted to change it but was unable to because promotion of the device had already begun.

Believe it or not, Sony continues to sell cassette-tape based Walkmans to this day.