May 15 Birthday
May 15 is the birthday of Brian Eno, who invented ambient music — not by composition, but by accident. In 1975, after being hit by a taxi, he lay in bed unable to adjust the volume of a record player playing harp music. The rain on the roof was louder than the music. He realized that music could create atmosphere without demanding attention. Music for Airports, released in 1978, was the first album explicitly labeled "ambient." It was originally designed to be played in airport lounges to calm anxious travelers. People born on May 15 fall under the zodiac sign of Taurus. The birthstone is Emerald and the birth flower is Lily of the Valley. Historical events on May 15 include 1602: First English colony in Americas at Cape Cod, 1918: First regular airmail service begins, 1930: Ellen Church becomes first female flight attendant. Famous people born on May 15 include Madeline Albright (1937), Brian Eno (1948), Emmitt Smith (1969).