Five Fun Phone Facts

Fun Fact #1 - Inducted into Invent Now’s Hall of Fame in 2011, Thomas A. Watson wasn’t just the first recipient of the first phone call made by Alexander Graham Bell. He was actually responsible for significant enhancements to the ground-breaking invention. Watson is credited with improvements used to this day—like the ringer to alert someone they were receiving a call, as well as the switch that terminated the call when the receiver was replaced.

Fun Fact #2 - In 1876, in addition to the human voice, music was first transmitted down a telephone line.

Fun Fact #3 - The solution to an early communication problem was allegedly invented by a local doctor handling an epidemic. In what could be considered an effective disaster recovery plan, he reasoned that the local operators were just as vulnerable to the fever as anyone else. Because only the regularly scheduled operators knew the names of all the townspeople and therefore how to route calls to them, their absence would have a huge impact on switchboard operations. His solution was to assign telephone numbers instead of using names so any operator could connect any call.

Fun Fact #4 - Author and humorist Mark Twain was one of the first people to have a phone in his home.

Fun Fact #5 - The telephone has a storied history including years of litigation to ascertain who the actual inventor was. Officially credited, of course, was Alexander Graham Bell. His death in 1922 was observed with a moment of telephone silence.