Peter Carl Goldmark (1906-1977), a Hungarian-born physicist and engineer who later became a U.S. citizen, is best known for his invention of the long-playing record, commonly known as the LP. It revolutionized the recorded music industry and dominated sales for 40 years. Spending most of his career as an engineer at CBS, he also contributed to the development of color television, photocopying, audio cassettes, and the video cassette recorder.

Goldmark was born in Budapest, Hungary, on December 2, 1906, the eldest child of Sandor (Alexander) Goldmark, a businessman, and Emma Steiner. His great-uncle, the chemist Joseph Goldmark, discovered red phosphorus, used in making matches, and invented percussion caps for rifles, first used in the U.S. Civil War. Another great-uncle, Karl Goldmark, is considered to be one of Hungary's greatest composers. As a boy, Goldmark received training in piano and cello. From an early age he developed a respect for...