How Was the Telephone Invented?

by Keerthana in History, August 19, 2008

One of the most important methods of communication these days is the telephone. It is so simple and easy to use the telephone. Just press a few buttons and we are connected to the other person. We really do not realize how much work has gone into inventing the telephone, which is now part and parcel of our life in the home, in factories, and in hospitals.

The word telephone comes from the two Greek words, tele meaning “far” and phone meaning “sound”. Telephone therefore means “sound coming from far”. The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876. He was a Scottish born US scientist and inventor.

He had been experimenting with the idea of sending several telegraph messages over the same wire at the same time. He was working in Boston, USA, during that time. On 2 June 1875 he was experimenting with a set of spring-steel reeds. The receiving set was in front of him while the sending set was in the next room. It was being operated by his assistant, Thomas Watson.

Watson plucked the steel strip and it began to vibrate producing a twanging sound. Bell rushed in from the other room and excitedly asked him to repeat what he had done. When Watson did so Bell realized that the steel strip while vibrating over the magnet had caused of varying strength to flow through the wire. This had made the reed in Bells room vibrate and produce a twanging sound. Bells sharp mind had quickly observed this and it led to the next step in the invention of the telephone.

Read more in History

« The Toll of Human Suffering During the Great Depression

The Unification of Germany: A Turning Point in European History »

The next day the first telephone was made. Voices could be recognized over it. The first telephone line was from the top of the building to the second floor below it. Graham Bell spent another year in refining the design in order to make the words clearer. Finally on 10
March 1976 the first sentence was “Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you,”

Today the whole world is connected with the help of millions of telephone lines. These are linked together by a very complicated network. This network consists of a telecommunications network. It carries fax messages, television and radio signals, computer data as well as telephone calls.

Thanks to Alexander Graham Bell………

To know more –

Which are the Carnivorous Plants?

Why Do Plants Turn Towards the Sunlight?

Why Do Some Flowers Have Bright Colors?

Different Habits of Plants

Ducks Feathers are Often Colorful

Why are the Mammals Considered to be the Most Developed Animals?

Do Bats Really Feed on Blood?

How to Save Money for Your Children’s Education and Retirement

When Was the Parachute Invented?

How Was the Telephone Invented?