May 9
In 1899 Arthur Collins recorded this song that helped to popularize the word "hello" as a greeting, where before it had only been an expression of surprise. The song contains some saucy lines like "what the hell-o," and considers the totally ridiculous idea that two people could fall in love simply by talking on the phone without ever meeting in person. It's on my playlist of music that tries to understand the wild world of future technologies, like the Carter Family's excellent "No Telephone in Heaven"
