What Happened on July 1

Sony Walkman Lets Millions Take Music Anywhere

The TPS-L2 transforms personal listening by freeing the listener from the phonograph and radio.

TOKYO, July 1 — A revolution in personal listening began today, as Sony put on sale the Walkman TPS-L2, the first portable audio player available to the general public. The device, which uses stereophonic headphones and plays standard cassettes, allows the user to choose their own music and hear it anywhere, without disturbing others. Weighing far less than any 8-track player or earlier cassette recorder, the Walkman sold briskly from the first day. Sony ultimately built 400 million Walkmans worldwide through March 2010, including 200.02 million original cassette models. The device, roughly the size of a paperback book, retails for the equivalent of $150 in today's dollars. Company engineers reportedly developed the player in just months, reacting to a request from Sony co-founder Masaru Ibuka, an opera enthusiast who wanted a portable way to listen to music. Early marketing campaigns in Japan featured young people roller-skating and cycling while wearing the distinctive blue-and-silver headphones, a sight that quickly became common in Tokyo's parks and train stations. Sony rejected a proposed name, Sound-About, in favor of the more catchy Walkman. The name drew from the device's portability and the English slang term "walkman" for a pedestrian. Competing players later adopted similar designs, but Sony's patent protections kept the market to itself for years.

British Army Suffers 57,470 Casualties in One Day on the Somme

The first day of the Battle of Albert becomes the bloodiest in British history — 19,240 men are killed.

LONDON, July 1 — Across the fields of Picardy, the opening of the Battle of the Somme has produced a catastrophe without precedent in the annals of the British Army. The first day of the Battle of Albert, the opening phase of the great offensive, recorded 57,470 casualties, of whom 19,240 were killed. The 34th Division suffered more heavily than any other Allied division. The French Sixth Army lost 1,590 men, while the German 2nd Army sustained between 10,000 and 12,000 casualties. The 36th (Ulster) Division did capture the Schwaben and Stuff redoubts. Several truces were observed to recover wounded from no man's land.

King William's Army Defeats James II at the Boyne

James flees to France after the battle near Drogheda — Schomberg commands William's forces.

DROGHEDA, July 1 — King William's forces, numbering about 36,000 men, including 7,000 Danish and 6,000 Dutch professional soldiers, today defeated the Jacobite army of James II at the River Boyne. James's army, composed mostly of raw recruits, was routed by far better trained and equipped troops under the Duke of Schomberg, the 74-year-old former Marshal of France. James fled to France and is not expected to return to Ireland. William's wound was slight, a grazing ball to the shoulder during the battle. The Paris court received James coldly.

Remington No. 1 Typewriter Goes on Sale — 400 Machines Sold at $125

Mark Twain calls the blind-writing machine a 'curiosity breeding little joker.'

NEW YORK, July 1 — The Remington No. 1, the first commercially successful typewriter, was placed on the market today. E. Remington and Sons contracted on March 1 to manufacture 1,000 machines, with an option for 24,000 more. The device can print only upper-case letters and is a 'blind writer,' hiding the text from the typist.

Grand Quartier Général Disbanded After French Surrender

French Army Command Dissolved — Weygand's Brief Tenure Ends — GQG's Wartime History Concludes

MONTAUBAN, July 1 — The Grand Quartier Général of the French Army, the supreme command headquarters that directed the nation's defense through the Second World War, was formally disbanded today, following the French surrender to Germany.

The dissolution of the GQG, which had moved to Montauban near Toulouse after the armistice signed at Compiègne on 22 June, marks the final organizational step in the military collapse. The headquarters had been re-established upon the outbreak of war in September 1939, with its planned base at the Château de Vincennes, a site prepared as early as 1938.

General Maurice Gamelin, who led the GQG at the war's start, was replaced on 19 May 1940 by General Maxime Weygand. Weygand's appointment briefly rejuvenated the command structure, but the German offensive proved overwhelming, culminating in the armistice that ended organized French resistance. The GQG's disbandment today underscores the completeness of the defeat. The French Army will now operate under terms set by the armistice, limiting its strength to 100,000 men. The GQG's records and archives have been turned over to German authorities. Many of its senior officers face an uncertain future, with some expected to join the new Vichy government. The Château de Vincennes, once the command's seat, stands empty. The French flag that flew over the château was lowered at noon today in a brief ceremony.

Scottish Parliament Assumes Legislative Powers From Westminster

Edinburgh takes control of domestic lawmaking after first election in 292 years

EDINBURGH, July 1 — The General Assembly Hall of the Church of Scotland on the Royal Mile fell quiet this morning as 129 newly elected members took their seats for the first formal sitting of the Scottish Parliament with full legislative powers, transferred from the Scottish Office in London.

The devolution of authority, which took effect today after elections on 6 May, ends nearly three centuries of direct rule from Westminster. Most work of the Scottish Office has been transferred to the newly established Scottish Executive, the parliament's executive branch. Members will serve five-year terms under the additional-member voting system.

The parliament's first meeting, a ceremonial session, occurred on 12 May. Its temporary home remains the General Assembly Hall while a permanent chamber is built in the Holyrood area. First Minister Donald Dewar presided over the opening session, which included the formal election of a presiding officer and deputy.

Malvern Hill Holds: Lee's Assaults Repulsed

Union position stands — Confederate attacks fail — Seven Days Battles end

RICHMOND, July 1 — The Confederate campaign to capture Richmond ended in bloody failure today as General Robert E. Lee's disjointed assaults on the Union position atop Malvern Hill were repulsed with heavy loss. Union artillery, massed on the hill's crest, tore gaps in the attacking infantry lines throughout the afternoon.

Mid-Air Collision Over Germany Kills 71

Russian passenger jet and DHL cargo plane crash near Swiss border

ÜBERLINGEN, Germany, July 1 — In the deadliest mid-air collision in German aviation history, a Bashkirian Airlines Tupolev Tu-154 and a DHL Boeing 757 collided over Lake Constance tonight, killing all 71 people aboard both aircraft, including 52 children.

NKRUMAH SWORN IN AS GHANA BECOMES REPUBLIC

Former prime minister takes oath as first president — nation remains in Commonwealth — Union of African States clause added

ACCRA, July 1 — Kwame Nkrumah was sworn in today as the first President of the Republic of Ghana, ending the nation’s three-year constitutional link to the British Crown. Governor-General Sir Charles Arden-Clarke stood down as Nkrumah took the oath of office.