Timeline: Evolution of Phones

Period: Jan 1, 1850 to Apr 22, 2016

History of the Telephone

Mar 10, 1876

Alexander Graham Bell invents the Telephone

Jun 19, 1900

Telephone transmission range extends

-loading coils reduced distortion and the loss of a signal's power, thus allowing signals to travel further
-Mihajlo Pupin invented the loading coils

Nov 16, 1904

Sir John Ambrose Fleming invents the vacuum diode

-the valve reliably detects radio waves
-"Transcontinental telephone service becomes possible with Lee De Forest's 1907 patent of the triode, or three-element vacuum tube, which electronically amplifies signals."

Jan 25, 1915

First transcontinental telephone call

-Graham Bell makes the call to Thomas Watson
-New York to San Francisco

Jul 6, 1947

North American Numbering Plan (NANP)

-AT&T and Bell Labs develop the system that assigns phone numbers to Americans

Nov 11, 1951

Direct longdistance calling first available

-no operator was required for nationwide calls for the first time

Sep 25, 1956

TAT-1, or the First transatlantic telephone cable

-enabled calling between the US and the UK

Jul 10, 1962

Telstar 1

"Communications satellite Telstar 1 is launched by a NASA Delta rocket on July 10, transmitting the first live transatlantic telecast as well as telephone and data signals."

Nov 18, 1963

Touch-tone telephone is introduced

-Western Electric 1500 model features 10 push buttons that replace the standard rotary dial

Feb 16, 1968

First 911 call is made

Apr 3, 1973

First portable cell phone is made

-Martin Cooper of Motorola
-although car phones were used since the 1940's, this was the true first portable cell phone

Jan 1, 1978

Tests of small, low-powered transmission towers, each covering an area a few miles in radius

-AT&T and Bell Labs

Jan 1, 1990

Voice Over Internet Protocols

"people to make voice calls over the Internet on packet-switched routes— starts to gain ground as PC users find they can lower the cost of their long-distance calls"