Historical eventAugust 141888

Arthur Sullivan

One of the first recordings of music, of Arthur Sullivan's "The Lost Chord", was played at a press conference in London to introduce Thomas Edison's phonograph.

Everything on August 14Original source

In context

When
Tuesday, August 14 1888138 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
19th century · 1880s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

Russia, Greece and some other countries used the Julian calendar into the early 20th century, so local records may show a date up to 13 days earlier.

At a glance

Dates: From 1888.

What happened

One of the first recordings of music, of Arthur Sullivan's "The Lost Chord", was played at a press conference in London to introduce Thomas Edison's phonograph.

August 14 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1888Arthur Sullivan
  2. 2007Qahtaniyah bombings
  3. 20102010 Summer Youth Olympics
  4. 2013Egypt
  5. 2013Rabaa massacre
  6. 2013UPS Airlines Flight 1354
  7. 2015Embassy of the United States, Havana
  8. 2018Ponte Morandi collapse
  9. 20212021 Haiti earthquake
  10. 20222022 Yerevan explosion
  11. 2023Donald Trump

Also in 1888

  • December 9Argosy (magazine)The first edition of the Argosy magazine was published under the title The Golden Argosy.
  • May 12North BorneoNorth Borneo was established as a British protectorate.
  • October 9Washington MonumentThe Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., at the time the world's tallest building, officially opened to the general public.
  • March 11Great Blizzard of 1888The Great Blizzard of 1888 struck the northeastern United States, producing snowdrifts in excess of 50 ft (15 m) and confining some peopl…
  • November 9Mary Jane KellyMary Jane Kelly, widely believed to be the fifth and final victim of the notorious unidentified serial killer Jack the Ripper, was murder…
  • October 30LobengulaLobengula, King of Matabeleland, granted the Rudd Concession (pictured) to agents of Cecil Rhodes, leading to the creation of the British…
  • April 11Concertgebouw, AmsterdamThe Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, considered one of the world's finest concert halls, was inaugurated.
  • August 5Bertha BenzBertha Benz made the first long-distance automobile trip, driving 106 km (66 mi) from Mannheim to Pforzheim, Germany, in a Benz Patent-Mo…

Everything we record for 1888 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Arthur Sullivan”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/arthur-sullivan-1888-august-14, accessed October 28, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did Arthur Sullivan happen?

August 14 1888 — 138 years ago, on a Tuesday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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