FEBRUARY 19, 1600
The massive eruption of Peru’s volcano Huaynaputina, which remains the largest volcanic explosion in South American history, with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 6, meaning that if you were standing a mile away, you were hit with somewhere around 180 decibels, meaning that your ear drums instantly shattered. Windows break at 168 decibels.

FEBRUARY 19, 1878
Thomas Edison patents the phonograph.

FEBRUARY 19, 1964
A Hungarian Jewish kid—OK, he’s 22—named Paul Simon writes “The Sound of Silence,” the song that will make him and his blond buddy famous.

FEBRUARY 19, 1968
Today saw the TV debut of Mr. Rodgers’ Neighborhood, beginning with a theme song (“It’s a beautiful day in the naaay-borhood…”) that American children would have stuck in their heads long after they were no longer children.

FEBRUARY 19, 1980
AC/DC’s Bon Scott is silenced forever by his asthma, or acute alcohol poisoning, or choking on his own vomit, or heroin, or exhaust fumes, depending on whom you believe.

FEBRUARY 19, 2006
The Rolling Stones do their white-boy blues rock thing for 1.3 million people in Rio de Janeiro.

FEBRUARY 19, 2007
The radiator in my apartment kicks in just after midnight and clanks and clangs and hisses and screams for a good two hours before I can fall asleep.