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Alexander Gram Bell invents telephone.
Alexander Gram Bell invents telephone by trying to imporve the telegraph. -
Telephone Connections Expand
Telephone transmission extends across and between major cities. -
First Transcontinental Phone Call
Alexander Graham Bell makes the first transcontinental telephone call to Thomas Watson-from New York to San Francisco. -
First Phone to Combine a Handset and Ringer
AT&T introduces the Model 500 telephone, the first that combines a ringer and handset. The classic black rotary phone, featuring an adjustable volume control for the bell and later a variety of colors, becomes a cultural icon. -
First Transatlantic Telephone Cable
The first transatlantic telephone cable is installed from Scotland to Nova Scotia, providing telephone service between North America and the United Kingdom. -
First 911 Call is Made
On February 16 the first 911 call is made in Haleyville, Alabama. Legislation calling for a single nationwide phone number for citizens to use to report fires and medical emergencies was passed by Congress in 1967, and in January 1968 AT&T announced plans to put such a system into place. -
First Portable Telephone Call is Made
The first portable cell phone call is made by Martin Cooper of Motorola to his research rival at Bell Labs, Joel Engel. Although mobile phones had been used in cars since the mid-1940s, Cooper’s was the first one invented for truly portable use.