The First Long-Playing Record Spins (June 21)

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Up until 1948, records came in just two speeds 7-inch 45 RPM (with a runtime of up to 5.5 minutes per side) and 10-inch 78 RPM (six minutes per side). But on this day, a new long-playing record, a 10-inch 33⅓ RPM (8-12 minutes per side) was introduced. It was soon followed by a 12-inch LP (18-22 minutes per side).

1948 – The First Long-Playing Record was a Repeat

10-inch album on a stereo — *(Wikimedia Commons)*

On this day in 1948, Columbia Records introduced the Long Playing “microgroove” LP record format which rotated at 33⅓ revolutions per minute. The album? A re-issue of The Voice of Frank Sinatra which had been released two years earlier as a four 78 RPM record set. Although the standard size of the LP became 12 inches, the first came out at a size of 10 inches. The majority of the first LPs were of classical music given their longer pieces of music. The success of Columbia Records prompted Capitol Records to release their own LPs in 1949 and RCA Victor in 1950.

1966 – Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? We Are

A man and woman are laughing on a sofa while another man stands behind with gun in his hands. — George Segal, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in *Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Stills DB)*

Adapted from Edward Albee’s 1962 play of the same name, Mike Nicols directed the award-winning Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? which premiered on this day in 1966. The movie’s plot sounds simple enough. George (Richard Burton) is an associate professor at a small college. His wife Martha (Elizabeth Taylor) is the daughter of the college’s president. The movie opens with the couple coming home after attending a party. Despite his reluctance, Martha invites Nick (George Segal) a young professor at the college and his wife Honey (Sandy Dennis) over for a drink at 2:30 a.m. The four continue drinking and arguing until early morning the next day.

Although terribly depressing and claustrophobic, the talent involved cannot be denied. The film was one of only two movies at the time that were nominated for every eligible Academy Award category (the other film was Cimarron). The drama won five Oscars including Best Actress (Taylor), Best Supporting Actress (Dennis), Best Art Direction: Black-and-White, Best Cinematography: Black-and-White, and Best Costume Design: Black-and-White.

Olivia Wilde’s 2026 film, The Invite, has been compared by some critics as similar to Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

2002 – Worst Basketball Movie Ever

A small basketball stuck in a hoop — *(Nico Franz/Pixabay)*

While movies like the hits Some Like It Hot (1959), Tootsie (1982) and Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) featured leading men dressed up like women, cross-dressing storylines do not always mean a box office success. On this day, one of the worst came to theaters.

In Juwanna Mann, a suspended and washed-up basketball player (Miguel A. Nunez Jr.) takes on the persona of a female player and joins a professional women’s basketball team.

The tagline for the film was, “The only way he can stay pro, is to play (like) a girl.” Co-starring Vivica A. Fox, Kevin Pollak, Kim Wayans, Lil’ Kim and Jenifer Lewis, the movie bombed in theaters and tanked with reviews. It got a generous 10% “rotten” score from Rotten Tomatoes.