Mary Had a Little Lamb
First Pieces, A
“Mary Had a Little Lamb” is over 190 years old, first published in 1830 by Sarah Josepha Hale — the same woman who convinced the country to celebrate Thanksgiving every year. The story goes that a real girl named Mary really did have a pet lamb that followed her to school one day, causing quite a commotion. Its simple, sing-song melody made it perfect for another surprising job: it was the very first thing ever recorded on Thomas Edison's phonograph, back in 1877.
