When did the Walkman come out?

It's not that prior to the release of the Sony Walkman you couldn't take your music with you, it's just that the options really sucked — especially if you wanted to jam out to your favorite cassette. Yes, there were technically portable options, but nothing that truly acted as a personal and private way to listen to music on the go.

While the history of who invented what exactly is a bit messy, there's no question that the Walkman changed everything. We wouldn't have people walking around with wireless earbuds in their ears while doing literally everything if Sony hadn't popularized the entire idea and delivered on it with a usable, sleek design.

The Walkman endured for much longer than it had any right to, but that's because it set the standard. When did the first one come out?