On July 8, 1922, Louis Armstrong left his hometown of New Orleans and took a train to Chicago. The trumpet player had been invited to play with a jazz band called King Oliver's, where he honed his already prodigious talent and evolved into one of the jazz era's most influential musicians.
To put his contribution into perspective, without Armstrong, the instrumental solo that is now an integral part of jazz possibly wouldn't have its share of the limelight. He helped shift the genre's focus from collective improvisation to solo performances. And yes, he had the kind of voice that could melt butter. Listen to What A Wonderful World for proof.
On December 31, 1999, then US President Bill Clinton announced that Armstrong's trumpet was among several items interred in a time capsule to be opened 100 years later. We're pretty sure his name will endure until then.
Photograph: STF/AFP/Getty Images
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