The First Generation
1933	Willie Nelson born April 30 in Abbott, Texas FM is demonstrated.
1934	First U.S. advertisement for "High Fidelity" records BASF is able to manufacture reels of plastic-based tape. Rock-Ola, Seeburg, Wurlitzer introduced multiple-selection nickel juke boxes; number installed in U.S. increased from 25,000 to 300,000 by 1939; Bing Crosby became #1 selection, spurring sales of his 35-cent Decca label songs. Communications Act of 1934: FCC established to rationalize and enforce U.S. communications policies for telephone systems and radio spectrum. Muzak founded by Signal Corps General George Squier to sell recorded music to homes in Cleveland for $1.50 per month on 3 channels. Swing music began in December with Benny Goodman on NBC's Let's Dance.
1935	Elvis Presley born January 8 in East Tupelo, Mississippi Gene Vincent born February 11 in Norfolk, Virginia Ray Manzarek born December 12 in Chicago First Hammond electronic organ
1936	Roy Orbison born April 23 in Wink, Texas. Bill Wyman born October 24 in London November 19 -- First BASF/AEG tape recording of live concert
1937	Hindenburg airship crashes and burns, providing the cover art for Led Zeppelin I. A. Reeves invents pulse code modulation (PCM), a technology used by computers and CD's for audio in the present day. Waylon Jennings born June 15 in Littlefield, Texas.
1938	Duane Eddy born April 26 in Corning, New York Eddie Cochran born December 3 in Oklahoma City J.J. Cale born December 5
1939	First FM station built. First RCA television sold to the public. Cost: 12" for $600. FCC issues list of program taboos, including astrology; obscenity; solicitation for funds; and false, misleading, or too much advertising. The government frowns upon playing music over the air as a waste and for being deceptive. (Stations often pretended they were broadcasting live with major stars in the studio.) FCC rules require stations to identify recorded broadcasts. Del Shannon born December 30 in Coopersville, Michigan. Real name: Charles Westover
1940	FCC decides on FM sound for TV. BMI forms and welcomes everyone ASCAP turns down: Appalachian musicians, fiddlers, blues singers, etc. Professional recognition goes to the vast body of American music outside the commercial mainstream. ASCAP withdraws all its music from the air, so radio stations turn to BMI records. Alternate version of this story is that the radio stations boycotted ASCAP music. David Sarnoff of RCA installed first secret recording devices in the White House for 11 weeks, from June to October. John Lennon born October 9
1941	Wilson Pickett born March 18 Ritchie Valens born May 13 in Pacoima, California. Real name: Richard Valenzuela Bob Dylan born May 24 in Duluth, Minnesota. Real name: Robert Allen Zimmerman Charlie Watts born June 2 in Islington, England David Crosby born August 14 in Los Angeles. Real name: David Van Cortland Steve Cropper born October 21 in Willow Springs, Missouri Television goes commercial. NTSC standards introduced for black and white television. "High definition television" is defined as 525 lines and 30 frames per second. FCC enacts National TV Ownership Rule. A broadcaster cannot own television stations that reach more than 35% of the nation's homes. US declares war against Japan, enters World War II. Manufacture of receivers halted. Television schedules curtailed. Office of War Information and Armed Radio Service formed.
1942	Brian Jones born February 28 in Cheltenham, England. Real name: Lewis Brian Hopkins-Jones Curtis Mayfield born June 3 in Chicago Paul McCartney born June 18 in Liverpool, England Brian Wilson born June 20 Jimi Hendrix born November 27 in Seattle Andy Summers born December 31 in Blackpool, England Graham Nash born in Blackpool, England
1943	Mick Jagger born July 26 in Dartford, England. Real name: Michael Phillip Jagger John Mayall born November 29 in Manchester, England Dickey Betts born December 12 in West Palm Beach, Florida Keith Richards born December 18 in Dartford, England
1944	Mayflower Doctrine: FCC prohibits editorializing by networks. Jimmy Page born January 9 in Heston (Middlesex?), England Al Kooper born February 5 in New York, NY Johnny Winter born February 23 in Leland, Mississippi Roger Daltrey born March 1 in London David Gilmour born March 6 in Cambridge, England Joe Cocker born May 20 on Sheffield, England Jeff Beck born June 24 in Surrey England Michael Bloomfield born July 8 in Chicago Jai Johanny Johanson (aka Jaimoe) born July 8 in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Real name: John Lee Johnson Roger Waters born September 6 in Surrey, England John Entwistle born Oct. 9 in London Jon Anderson born October 25 in Lancashire, England Keith Emerson born November 1 in Todmorden, England Randy Newman born November 28 in New Orleans Alvin Lee born December 19 in Nottingham, England
1945	Associated Press v. United States: Supreme Court rules that media mergers that narrow the dissemination of information are unconstitutional. First network television broadcast announces the bombing of Nagasaki, Japan. 50% of U.S. households have telephone service. Paul Klipsch patented the Klipschorn folded horn speaker. The innovations in speakers and amplifiers and tape recorders after World War II contributed to the birth of a"Hi Fi" era that produced stereo and transistor radios and cassette tape players. Stephen Stills born January 3 in Dallas Nick Mason born January 27 in Birmingham, England. Eric Clapton born March 30 in Ripley, England Bob Seeger born May 6 in Ann Arbor, Michigan Pete Townshend born May 19 in London Deborah Harry born July 1 in Miami, Florida Rod Stewart born July 10 (January 10?) in London. Richard Wright born July 28 in London Neil Young born November 12 in Toronto John McVie born November 26 in London John Densmore born December 1 in Los Angeles Alice Cooper born December 25 in Detroit. Real name: Vinvent Furnier
1946	Dual Television Network Rule: FCC prohibits major networks from owning more than one. Syd Barrett born January 6 in Cambridge, England. Real name: Roger Keith Barrett Robbie Kreiger born January 8 in Los Angeles Elvis Presley gets a guitar for his 11th birthday (January 8). John Paul Jones born June 3 in Sidcup, England. Real name: John Baldwin Freddy Mercury born September 5 in Zanzibar. Real name: Frederick Bulsara Billy Preston born September 9 in Houston, Texas Duane Allman born November 20 in Nashville
1947	Magnetic Tape Recorders hit the U.S. market. The "Hollywood 10" cited for contempt of Congress for refusing to answer questions about alleged Communist influence in their industry. Warren Zevon born January 24 in Chicago, Illinois Steve Howe born April 8 in London Brian May born July 19 in Hampton, England David Essex born July 23 in London. Real name: David Cook Keith Moon born August 23 Joe Walsh born November 20 in Wichita, Kansas Gregg Allman born December 8 in Macon, Georgia Big 6 record companies controlled majority industry: Columbia, Victor, Decca, Capitol, MGM, Mercury; but teenagers rejected majority music style, giving opportunity to the rise of new small independent labels. Roy Brown recorded one of the earliest "rock and roll" songs, "Good Rocking Tonight" on DeLuxe label, although the name was common in early blues recordings such as Trixie Smith's 1922 "My Man Rocks Me With One Steady Roll."
1948	Chris Squire born March 4 in London Berry Oakley born April 4 in Chicago Steve Winwood born May 12 in Birmingham, England Bill Bruford born May 17 in London John Bonham born May 31 in Redditch, England June 21 -- Columbia introduced the first 12-inch 33-1/3 rpm micro-groove LP vinylite record with 23-minute per side capacity. Todd Rundgren born June 22 in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania Robert Plant born August 20 in Bromwich, England Greg Lake born November 10 in Bournemouth, England Ozzy Osbourne born December 3 in Manchester, England Edgar Winter born December 28 in Beaumont, Texas Jimmy Cliff born in St. Catherine, Jamaica The transistor is invented by Bell Laboratories.
1949	Frank H. McIntosh and Gordon J. Gow sold the first McIntosh 50W1 Unity Coupled Amplifier, producing 50 watts at less than 1% distortion from 20 Hz to 20,000Hz. RCA Victor introduced 7-inch 45 rpm micro-groove "Extended Play" vinylite record and player "Fairness Doctrine" - FCC contends that station licensees are "public trustees," with an "obligation to afford  reasonable opportunity for discussion of contrasting points of view on controversial issues of public importance". Jerry Harrison born February 21 in Milwaukee Rick Wakeman born May 18 in London Alan White born June 14 in Durham, England Roger Meadows-Taylor born July 26 in Norfolk, England Bruce Springsteen born September 23 in Freehold, New Jersey September -- Capitol became the first major label to support all three recording speeds of 78, 45, 33-1/3 rpm. Bonnie Raitt born November 8 in Los Angeles New! -- 45 rpm records hit the U.S. market Todd Storz of Omaha's KOWH created Top 40 after observing customers in a bar play the same juke box selection over and over.
1950	Stevie Wonder born May 13 in Saginaw, Michigan Peter Gabriel born May 13 in England Tina Weymouth born November 22 in Coronado, California Muddy Waters recorded "Rollin' Stone" for the Aristocrat label of Leonard and Phil Chess on Maxwell Street in Chicago, at the end of Highway 61, "the road to freedom" followed by many black blues singers from the Miss. Delta to Chicago. Waters electrified the blues and helped create rock and roll. The Weavers hit #1, setting up folk music as a lucrative commercial genre. Groups with names like the Cumberland Three, the Chad Mitchell Trio, the Wayfarers, the Travelers, etc., follow, cashing in by copywriting public domain material. The Kingston Trio tops the charts a decade later with their album Sold Out.
1951	Carl Palmer born March 20 in Birmingham England Chris Frantz born May 8 in Ft. Campbell, Kentucky Roger Deacon born August 19 in Leicester, England Sting (Gordon Sumner) born October 2 in Wallsend, England Sam Phillips in his studio in Memphis used his Ampex 350 tape machine to record Rocket 88, written by Ike Turner, sung by Jackie Brenston, and sold to Leonard and Phil Chess in Chicago who released it as the 78 rpm Chess record #1458. The sale of this master tape allowed Phillips to start his own Sun Records label. Movie attendance drops sharply. Wave of theater closings.
1952	David Byrne born May 14 in Dunbartin, Scotland Stewart Copeland born July 16 in Virginia Chrissie Hynde born in Akron, Ohio Alan Freed started Moondog's Rock and Roll Party in Cleveland after visit to Leo Mintz's record store.
1953	The Four Tops formed in Detroit. Elvis Presley in the summer made his first recording (a personal disc for himself) at the Sun studio of Sam Phillips in Memphis. FCC sets NTSC standards for color television. First color TV sets go on sale for $1,175.

Sources

History of CD Technology -- OneOff Media Inc. History of Storage -- PC Museum Alliance for Community Media Recording Technology History -- University of San Diego Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll, by Jon Pareles and Patricia Romano (1983) Rolling Stone Press