This timeline details the key events and breakthroughs leading to Alexander Graham Bell's invention of the telephone.
Moves to Boston and Teaching the Deaf
1871
Bell moved to Boston and began teaching Visible Speech to students at the Boston School for Deaf Mutes. This work with the deaf profoundly influenced his research into sound transmission.
Professor of Vocal Physiology
1872
Bell was appointed Professor of Vocal Physiology at Boston University, further solidifying his expertise in the field of sound and speech.
Partnership with Thomas A. Watson
1874
Bell hired Thomas A. Watson, an electrician, as his assistant. Watson's technical skills proved invaluable in building and testing Bell's experimental devices.
First Successful Transmission of Sound
June 2, 1875
Bell and Watson successfully transmitted the sound of a plucked reed over a wire. While not intelligible speech, this marked a significant step towards the invention of the telephone.
Bell's Telephone Patent Filed
February 14, 1876
Bell filed a patent for the telephone with the United States Patent Office, just hours before Elisha Gray filed a caveat for a similar device.
First Successful Telephone Transmission
March 10, 1876
Bell successfully transmitted the famous phrase, 'Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you,' over the telephone, marking the first clear transmission of speech.
