Invention of the Telephone
This man invented the telephone in 1876.
Alexander Graham Bell
The wooden box phone from the 1880s was known for this feature.
Hand-cranked generator
The first coaxial cable for multiple calls was laid in this year.
1937
Before telephones, this was the most common method of sending written messages over long distances.
Telegrams
The telephone allowed this type of communication to replace telegrams and letters.
Instant communication
Alexander Graham Bell made the first telephone call to this person.
Thomas Watson
The rotary dial phone was introduced in this decade.
The 1920s
This shared phone line system allowed multiple households to use the same line.
Party lines
The telephone made this traditional form of communication obsolete.
This emergency service number was introduced in the U.S. in 1968.
911
The telephone transmits this through wires.
Electrical signals
This 1960s phone innovation replaced the rotary dial.
Touch tone keypad
Long-distance calling became common with the development of this type of network.
Cable networks
This communication system was used for short-distance messages before the telephone.
Telegraph
The telephone contributed to this global business phenomenon.
Globalization
Alexander Graham Bell received a patent for the telephone in this year.
1876
This type of phone freed users from the cord in the 1980s.
The cordless phone
This decade saw widespread telephone systems in households.
The 1950s
People used these for long-distance audio communication before the telephone.
Messengers
The telephone revolution significantly improved this aspect of business operations.
International communication
Bell’s telephone paved the way for this modern telecommunication technology.
The mobile phone
This phone model, introduced in 1994, marked the beginning of modern smartphones.
IBM’s first smartphone
Early telephones required operators for this reason.
Connecting calls (no direct dialing)
This early form of communication required individuals to be in the same room to exchange information.
Face-to-face conversation
This type of crisis response was greatly enhanced by the telephone.
Emergency response