Accordion

The accordion is a musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type. Box-like in form, and small enough to be portable, it comprises a pair of bellows with many folds and a keyboard of up to 50 keys.

An accordion-like instrument called the Handäoline was invented by Friedrich Buschmann in Berlin, Germany, in 1822.

Viennese organ and piano manufacturer Cyrill Demian patented the first actual accordion on May 23, 1829. It was the first instrument to be called  "accordion" and was named thus because the buttons of the left hand manual produced both bass notes and preset chords.  (The word 'accordion' derives from the German word 'akkord', meaning chord or harmony.)

8-key bisonoric diatonic accordion (c. 1830) By Henry Doktorski - Wikipedia Commons

The concertina, invented in 1829 by Sir Charles Wheatstone, is a small, hexagonal, accordion-like instrument made in single-action and double-action versions.

Hugo Herrmann composed the first piece for a solo accordion entitled "Sieben neue Spielmusikenin" in 1927.

In the 1990s it was compulsory for all North Korean school teachers to learn to play the accordion which was known as the "people’s instrument". They needed to pass an accordion test before getting their teaching certification.

The accordion is played by compressing or expanding the bellows to generate a flow of air, while pressing buttons or keys to open valves (called pallets). This directs the air across strips of brass or steel (called reeds) that vibrate to produce sound inside the body.

Castelfidardo, Italy has arguably produced and exported the most accordions ever.

The accordion is the designated instrument for the city of Detroit.

There is a tradition of accordion polka-based music in Mexico due to a large migration of Germans to Mexico in the 1800's.

By the time she was four-years-old, Connie Francis was appearing regularly at talent contests, pageants, and other neighborhood festivities as a singer and accordion player.

Al Yankovic is not related to Frankie Yankovic, "America's Polka King." However, both Yankovics became famous for playing the accordion.

Another name for the accordion is a squeeze box.

Here's a list of pop songs featuring the accordion.