The gramophone

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Who

Emile Berliner, a German-born Jewish-American inventor.

When

1887

Where

Washington, D.C., United States

The gramophone was the first device to record and play back sound using flat discs, the ancestor of the record player and the modern music industry. It was invented in 1887 by Emile Berliner, a Jewish immigrant from Hanover who patented the disc record and playback system.

Part of “The Gifts of the Jews” — verified Jewish contributions to the world, with sources.