Alexander Graham Bell was born on March 3, 1847 in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Bell is best known for his invention of the telephone. Many inventors had
been working on the idea of sending human speech by wire, but Bell was the
first to succeed.
The invention of the
telephone grew out of improvements Bell had made to the telegraph. He had
developed the "harmonic telegraph" which could send more than one message
at a time over a single telegraph wire. Bell reasoned that it would be
possible to pick up all the sounds of the human voice using an adaptation
of the "harmonic telegraph." In 1875, along with his assistant Thomas A.
Watson, Bell constructed instruments that transmitted recognizable
voice-like sounds.
Bell's first telephone
patent was granted on March 7, 1876. Three days later he and Watson,
located in different rooms, were about to test the new type of transmitter
described in his patent. Watson heard Bell's voice saying,
"Mr. Watson,
come here. I want you." Bell had upset a battery, spilling acid on his
clothing. He soon forgot the accident in his excitement over the success
of the telephone transmitter. The first telephone company, Bell Telephone
Company, was founded on July 9, 1877.
