Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Turkish davul emerged as a cylindrical drum with two thin heads stretched over hoops and attached to a narrow shell. Ottoman Janissary military bands utilized these instruments extensively in the 18th century for marching songs.
William Ludwig created a workable bass drum pedal in 1909 which struck a two-headed bass drum similarly to a drumstick. Sonor drum company introduced its first single bass drum pedal in 1900 before Ludwig made it workable nine years later.
The first person to popularize the double bass drum setup was jazz drummer Louie Bellson who conceived the idea while still in high school. Rock drummers Ginger Baker of Cream and Keith Moon of The Who popularized double bass drums during the 1960s.
The modern orchestral bass drum measures roughly 40 inches in diameter and 20 inches in width while being double-headed and rod tensioned. In a typical drum kit the bass drum is much smaller than traditional orchestral instruments measuring around 22 inches in diameter.
The bass line is a unique ensemble consisting of graduated pitch marching bass drums found in bands and corps where each drum plays a different note giving the line a task distinct from simple timekeeping roles. Drums measure between 16 inches and 32 inches in diameter with larger ones producing lower notes.