Telephone

Italian innovator Antonio Meucci invented the first simple telephone in 1849, preceding Alexander Graham Bell. This early version of the telephone laid the foundation for future developments in communication technology.

Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone on March 7, 1876, with his invention called the 'liquid transmitter'. This marked the beginning of the telephone era.

On March 10, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell successfully transmitted speech for the first time, saying 'Mr. Watson, come here! I want to see you!' using a liquid transmitter and his own electromagnetic receiver.

On May 16, 1876, Thomas Edison filed the first patent application for acoustic telegraphy, which was later granted as U.S. patent 182,996 on October 10, 1876.

On June 25, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell exhibited his telephone at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, receiving enthusiastic reactions from notable figures like Emperor Dom Pedro II of Brazil and Lord Kelvin.

On August 10, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell made the world's first long-distance telephone call over a distance of about 6 miles between Brantford and Paris, Ontario, Canada.

On October 9, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell made the first two-way long-distance telephone call between Cambridge and Boston, Massachusetts.

On January 30, 1877, Alexander Graham Bell was granted U.S. Patent No. 186,787 for an electromagnetic telephone utilizing permanent magnets, iron diaphragms, and a call bell.

On April 27, 1877, Thomas Edison filed telephone patent applications in the United States. These patents were eventually awarded to Edison in 1892 after disputes with other inventors like Alexander Graham Bell and Emile Berliner. Edison's carbon granules transmitter and Bell's electromagnetic receiver were utilized by the Bell system for many years.

On July 9, 1877, the Bell Telephone Company was organized by Alexander Graham Bell's future father-in-law, Gardiner Greene Hubbard. Hubbard, a lawyer, became the company's first president. This marked a significant step in the history of telecommunication.

On February 19, 1880, Alexander Graham Bell and Charles Sumner Tainter invent the photophone, also known as a radiophone, enabling sound transmission through a beam of light, marking a significant advancement in communication technology.

The world's first wireless telephone call is made on April 1, 1880, using Bell and Tainter's photophone, a precursor to fiber-optic communications, demonstrating the early advancements in wireless technology.

The world's first international telephone call was made between St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Canada, and Calais, Maine, United States.

The Government of the United States moves to annul Alexander Graham Bell's master patent due to fraud and misrepresentation. The case is dropped after it was revealed that the U.S. Attorney General had financial ties to the company challenging Bell's patent.

A.G. Smith patents a telegraph switch enabling fewer trunks than lines, with automatic selection of idle trunks, revolutionizing telecommunication infrastructure.

Almon Strowger patents the Strowger switch, marking the invention of the first automatic telephone exchange system, streamlining telephone connections.

The first Strowger switch becomes operational in LaPorte, Indiana, serving 75 subscribers and demonstrating the efficiency of automatic telephone exchanges.

Around 1893, Sweden led the world in telephones per 100 persons, known as teledensity, with 0.55 in the whole country and 4 in Stockholm. The development of telephone service in Sweden involved various institutional forms and competition between different companies.

The second fundamental Bell patent for the telephone expired, leading to the establishment of independent telephone companies and manufacturing companies like Stromberg-Carlson and Kellogg Switchboard & Supply Company.

American Bell Telephone Company was purchased by its long-distance subsidiary, AT&T, to bypass state regulations. AT&T took over the leadership of the Bell System.

John W. Atkins, manager at International Ocean Telegraph Company, made the first international telephone call from Key West to Havana over a telegraph cable, marking a significant milestone in communication history.

The number of phones in Bell's telephone system surged to 2.2 million by 1905, indicating a substantial rise in telephone usage.

By 1907, AT&T established a near monopoly on phone and telegraph services after acquiring Western Union, leading to concerns about its dominance in the industry.

By 1910, the number of phones in Bell's telephone system reached 5.8 million, showcasing continued expansion and adoption of telephone services.

In 1913, the Kingsbury Commitment was reached between AT&T and the U.S. Attorney General's office, requiring AT&T to divest itself of Western Union and provide long-distance services to independent phone exchanges.

The world's first videophone call was made on April 7, 1927, using an electro-mechanical AT&T unit from Washington, D.C. to New York City by then-Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover.

On November 8, 1927, the first rotary dial handset telephone was introduced, revolutionizing the way people made calls.

By 1934, AT&T had regained its monopolistic hold over the telephone and telegraph industry in the United States. The government allowed it to operate as a 'regulated monopoly' under the oversight of the FCC.

In 1968, 911 was selected as the nationwide emergency number in the United States, with telephone companies agreeing to reserve this three-digit sequence exclusively for emergency calls, enhancing public safety.

Amos E. Joel, Jr. of Bell Labs invented the 'call handoff' system for 'cellular mobile communication system' in 1970, with the patent granted in 1972.

On 3rd April 1973, Motorola employee Martin Cooper made the first hand-held cell phone call to Joel Engel, head of research at AT&T's Bell Labs, using the first Motorola DynaTAC prototype.

David A. Hodges, Paul R. Gray and R.E. Suarez at UC Berkeley developed MOS mixed-signal integrated circuit technology, specifically the MOS switched capacitor (SC) circuit, which was utilized to create the digital-to-analog converter (DAC) chip for digital telephony.

Kazuo Hashimoto invented Caller ID, a significant feature in telecommunications that allows users to identify the incoming caller's phone number before answering the call.

Bell Labs initiated a trial of the first commercial cellular network in Chicago using Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS), marking a milestone in mobile communication technology.

The world's first fully automatic mobile phone system NMT was initiated in Sweden and Norway, revolutionizing mobile communication.

On March 2, 1982, mobile phones became available to the public, marking a significant milestone in communication technology. This event allowed individuals to have access to mobile phones for personal use.

In 1983, the US public allowed the operation of a cellular mobile phone service, marking a significant milestone in the history of telecommunications.

On March 9, 1986, Bell Laboratories created the first advanced mobile phone system, paving the way for modern mobile communication technologies.

March 9, 1992, marked the introduction of the first smart phone, revolutionizing the way people communicate and access information on the go.

The iPhone was introduced, revolutionizing communication by making most phone lines VoIP-based, enabling instant voice calls or conference calls globally at affordable rates.

The iPhone 14 was a significant milestone in the evolution of telephone technology, showcasing the latest advancements in mobile communication and device capabilities.