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Everyday Mysteries: Fun Science Facts from the Library of Congress

Who is credited as inventing the telephone?
Was it Alexander Graham Bell, Elisha Gray, or Antonio Meucci?

Alexander Graham Bell was the first to patent the telephone.

Attributing the true inventor or inventors to a specific invention can be tricky business. Often credit goes to the inventor of the most practical or best working invention rather than to the original inventor(s). This happens to be the case of the invention of the telephone!

There is a lot of controversy and intrigue surrounding the invention of the telephone. There have been court cases, books, and articles generated about the subject. Of course, Alexander Graham Bell is the father of the telephone. After all it was his design that was first patented, however, he was not the first inventor to come up with the idea of a telephone.

Antonio Meucci, an Italian immigrant, began developing the design of a talking telegraph or telephone in 1849. In 1871, he filed a caveat (an announcement of an invention) for his design of a talking telegraph. Due to hardships, Meucci could not renew his caveat. His role in the invention of the telephone was overlooked until the United States House of Representatives passed a Resolution on June 11, 2002, honoring Meucci's contributions and work (To read the report search Thomas Legislation, Bill summary and Status, 107th Congress, H Res 269 ).

To make matters even more interesting Elisha Gray, a professor at Oberlin College, applied for a caveat of the telephone on the same day Bell applied for his patent of the telephone. In Historical First Patents: The First United States Patent for Many Everyday Things (Scarecrow Press, 1994), Travis Brown, reports that Bell got to the patent office first. The date was February 14, 1876 . He was the fifth entry of that day, while Gray was 39th. Therefore, the U.S. Patent Office awarded Bell with the first patent for a telephone, US Patent Number 174,465 rather than honor Gray's caveat.

So, if someone asks who is credited with inventing the telephone, you can explain the controversy that still surrounds this question. The answer is Bell, but be sure to mention Meucci and Gray, because they played important roles in its development.

Related Web Sites

Alexander Graham Bell's Family Papers From the Library of Congress American Memory Web site, the collection includes "correspondence, scientific notebooks, journals, blueprints, articles, and photographs documenting Bell's invention of the telephone and his involvement in the first telephone company, his family life, his interest in the education of the deaf, and his aeronautical and other scientific research. Dates span from 1862 to 1939, but the bulk of the materials are from 1865 to 1920."
Antonio Meucci A short history of Antonio Meucci from the Italian Historical Society of America.
Antionio Meucci Revisited This Web page provides details of Antonio Meucci's telephone which includes drawings.
Elisha Gray This Web page from the Electronic Oberlin Group, provides a brief history of Elisha Gray along with related Web links for more information.
PBS: The Telephone - PBS provides the transcript to the film "The Telephone," a gallery, people & events, and a teacher's guide. The Special Feature section also provides information about forgotten inventions such as the can opener.

Who is credited as inventing the telephone? Was it Alexander Graham Bell, Elisha Gray, or Antonio Meucci?

Alexander Graham Bell was the first to patent the telephone.

Who is credited as inventing the telephone?
Was it Alexander Graham Bell, Elisha Gray, or Antonio Meucci?