The telephone was invented in the 1870s as a device to transmit speech electrically.

Alexander Graham Bell is widely credited with patenting the first practical telephone in 1876.

One of the first famous telephone conversations was Bell saying, 'Mr. Watson, come here. I want to see you.'

Early telephone service required manual switchboards operated by human operators to connect calls.

The invention of the automatic telephone exchange automated this process, allowing for direct dialing.

The Bell Telephone Company, which later became AT&T, established a near-monopoly on telephone service in the United States for much of the 20th century.

The 20th century saw the development of long-distance calling and the laying of transatlantic telephone cables.

The latter half of the century saw the invention and widespread adoption of mobile phones.

The development of cellular networks in the 1980s made mobile telephony practical for the general public.

The rise of smartphones in the 21st century has transformed the telephone from a simple communication device into a powerful handheld computer.