On this day: January 10
POSTED: 10:35 AM PST Jan 09, 2013
UPDATED: 11:00 PM PST Jan 09, 2013
Caesar crosses the Rubicon, the London Underground opens, RCA introduces the 45 rpm single, The Beatles' first U.S. record is released, and Wendy's asks "Where's the Beef?," all on this day.
RCA Records
1949: RCA introduces the "single," the 7-inch diameter 45 rpm record in the U.S. A single could play eight minutes of sound per side. Columbia had introduced the 12-inch long-playing vinyl 33 rpm as a new format the previous year and both formats greatly improved upon the old 78 rpm records, which were limited to only five minutes per side on a 12-inch disk. The 45 rpm singles would soon find favor among the youth and became even more successful with the onset of rock 'n' roll.
