JUNE 28 ^TH

1846: Adolphe Sax patents the saxophone. The Belgian inventor and musician invented several other brass instruments, but the saxophone became his most popular. The valves he designed were cutting-edge at the time, and remain in use today largely in their original form.

1894: Labor Day becomes an official U.S. holiday. The federal holiday takes place on the first Monday of September and celebrates the American labor movement. President Grover Cleveland advocated the September date instead of May 1, which is traditionally the workers’ holiday around the world, because he was afraid Mayday would become the anniversary of the Haymarket Riot of 1886, and he preferred a less militant holiday.

1926: Mercedes-Benz is formed. The automobile company was created from a merger of two competing car manufacturing companies owned by Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz.

JUNE 29 ^TH

1956: The Interstate Highway System is created. The Federal Aid Highway act of 1956 organized the United States system of interstate highways. The formation of the system was championed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and many highways are named for him.

2007: The first iPhone is released. The touchscreen-operated smartphone, which includes wi-fi and cellular capabilities, completely revolutionized the cell phone market and led to a new era of wireless personal communication devices.

JUNE 30 ^TH

1937: The first emergency phone system is introduced. Using the number 999, London set up an emergency telephone number with which to summon police, firefighters or ambulances. The system was successful and copied worldwide. The number 999 is still Britain’s emergency phone line.