When Was the Telephone Invented?

The telephone was invented in the 1870s. The “CB’ radio” or “citizen’s band radio” were just starting to becoming obsolete when Alexander Graham Bell invented the first telephone. Bell’s dream was “to converse with friends without leaving home.”

The first phones, which were invented in the 1870s by Bell, were large, usually solid black, and were very heavy. If you’re old enough to go back as far as the first telephones, you can remember the rotary dial phones that you can now only find at museums or antique stores. 

Rotary phones remained the norm for a long time. Even a baby-boomer might recall the square-based telephones that had rotary dials. When the phone was ‘hung up,’ the receiver sat on two buttons that were designed to keep the receiver in place.

To place a call, you’d pick up the receiver and like today, you’d hear a dial tone indicating that you could place a call. Each number, 1 – 0 could be dialed by rotating the circular dialer in a clockwise motion until it reached the edge of the dial-stop. With each number you could hear a click.

Touch Phone

Phones have come a long way since that first rotary phone, and they continue to change rapidly. Following the invention of the rotary telephone, the next innovation occurred when touch-tone was introduced and slowly replaced the old-fashion rotary dialers. When these phones became popular, many kids thought the musical sounds of the push buttons were so cool, that some accidentally dialed long-distance and international numbers without realizing it. 

Mobile Phones

The mobile phone was the next innovation. In 1985, phone companies introduced softer ringing, more attractive phones and tones instead of those with loud rings. These phones were attractive but not usable outside the home or office.

The only phones other than a land line were referred to as “mobile phones” and only those individuals with a very comfortable income could afford such advanced technologies.

Mobile phones were initially tethered to cars through the use of a long coil. Those phones were large and required a lot of power, so they couldn't be used or removed from the vehicle. There’s no way they’d fit in the palm of your hand with ease like the modern day cell phones.

Cell Phones

Modern-day cell phones were the next innovation. As sophisticated as a computer, modern cell phones can be as small as the length of your pinky finger. Cell phones can be taken anywhere, aren't tethered to anything, and allow complete phone freedom. They are a long way from the original rotary phones invented by Bell, but ultimately they serve the same function: to allow people to connect with each other across any distance.

Today Bell's dream which resulted in the telephone being invented has become far more than a reality. It has become a necessity and a convenience that no one in the world could live without. From the rotary phone to the cell phone, phones have revolutionized how people connect.