- 1846 – The saxophone is patented by Adolphe Sax in Paris, France.
- 1859 – The first conformation dog show is held in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England.
- 1902 – The U.S. Congress passes the Spooner Act, authorizing President Theodore Roosevelt to acquire rights from Colombia for the Panama Canal.
For more on the saxophone, read The Devil’s Horn: The Story of the Saxophone, from Noisy Novelty to King of Cool.
The 160-year history of the saxophone comes to brilliant life in Michael Segell’s wonderfully researched, beautifully told The Devil’s Horn. Beginning with “a sound never heard before,” Segell’s portrait follows the iconographic instrument as it is lauded for its sensuality, then outlawed for its influence, and finally credited with changing the face of popular culture. A deeply personal story of one man’s love for music-making, a universal story of artistic and political revolution, and a trenchant critique of the global forces that stand in art’s way, The Devil’s Horn is music writing at its very finest.