Title: The Invention and Evolution of the Telephone
Headings: How the Telephone Was Invented
How the Telephone Was Invented
Bell's Biography
From Telegraph to Telephone
Talk With Electricity
"Mr. Watson, Come Here"
The Telephone Network Is Born
Exchanges and Rotary Dialing
Pay Phones
Touch-Tone Phones
Cordless Phones
Cell Phones
Telephone Books
9-1-1
Caller ID
Additional Resources
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Content: The Invention and Evolution of the Telephone
Humanities › History & Culture
How the Telephone Was Invented
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By
Mary Bellis
Inventions Expert
Mary Bellis covered inventions and inventors for ThoughtCo for 18 years. She is known for her independent films and documentaries, including one about Alexander Graham Bell. our editorial process
Mary Bellis
Updated January 27, 2020
In the 1870s, Elisha Gray and Alexander Graham Bell independently designed devices that could transmit speech electrically. Both men rushed their respective designs for these prototype telephones to the patent office within hours of each other. Bell patented his telephone first and later emerged the victor in a legal dispute with Gray. Today, Bell's name is synonymous with the telephone, while Gray is largely forgotten. But the story of who invented the telephone goes beyond these two men. Bell's Biography
Alexander Graham Bell was born on March 3, 1847, in Edinburgh, Scotland. He was immersed in the study of sound from the beginning. His father, uncle, and grandfather were authorities on elocution and speech therapy for the deaf.