Voting Station

Leon Theremin

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Musician

The Resume

    (August 15, 1896-November 3, 1993)
    Born in St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
    Birth name was Lev Sergeyevich Termin
    Invented the theremin, one of the first electronic musical instruments (1919)
    Subject of the documentary 'Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey' (1993)

Why he might be annoying:

    His attempt to market theremins for the home through RCA failed.
    He returned to Russia after running into financial and tax troubles in the US (1938).
    He invented a passive listening device that the Soviets used to bug the US embassy in Moscow for seven years.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He scandalized high society when he married black dancer Lavinia Williams.
    When he returned to Russia, he was imprisoned in the gulag.
    He invented the first motion detector for automated doors.
    Theremins were used on the soundtracks of 'Spellbound' (1945), 'The Lost Weekend' (1945), 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' (1951), 'The Thing' (1951) and 'Ed Wood' (1994).

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 7 Votes: 14.29% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 19 Votes: 36.84% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 13 Votes: 53.85% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 3 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 20 Votes: 45.00% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 11 Votes: 45.45% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 104 Votes: 52.88% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 16 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 25 Votes: 48.00% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 21 Votes: 28.57% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 11 Votes: 45.45% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 26 Votes: 65.38% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 22 Votes: 40.91% Annoying
    In 2008, Out of 27 Votes: 59.26% Annoying
    In 2007, Out of 37 Votes: 59.46% Annoying