By 1920, only 35% of homes even had a phone, according to figures McCracken cites from the data aggregating site Statista. … But while cheer and encouragement was the hope, phones were still a relatively new technology. This is most likely because he was the first to receive a patent for his invention.Today we’re videoconferencing, but in 1918 it was phone calls - at least at first. Even though other inventors had been working on similar ideas at the same time, Bell's telephone remains a pioneering invention to this day. After Bell became known as the inventor of the telephone, many other scientists tried to claim the title. But initially they were only for rent, not for sale, allowing Bell to retain control over the telephone business. All at once he went from being an unknown inventor to a personality known throughout the nation, perhaps even the world." NARRATOR: The demand for Bell's telephones was gigantic. JOSEPH HOPPE: "The press showered him with attention. Bell unveiled his invention to the public at the World's Fair in Philadelphia, where he was awarded a prize for the most useful invention of his time. He wanted to revolutionize telegraphy, but instead he invented the telephone. He received the hotly contested patent for a technology that remains an indispensable part of our lives to this day. On his 29th birthday, Bell achieved his lifelong dream. In March 1876, Bell and his assistant Thomas Watson held the first telephone call in history. He invested every penny he had and confronted the best engineers of his time. Bell worked day and night on the problem of transmitting speech over distance. But turning this theory into reality took many, many attempts and experiments. This generates an electrical current with subtle fluctuations that are transferred to a membrane at the receiver, which makes them once again audible. Sound waves produced by a voice cause a membrane to vibrate, moving a thin metal sheet within a magnetic coil. An original drawing from his diaries reveals how Bell went about solving the problem of voice transmission. His was eager to help people take communication to new heights. Alexander Graham Bell, an unknown teacher of deaf-mutes, also threw his hat into the ring in this technical race, although for other reasons. Edison's genius produced a machine that could send up to four messages at the same time. The greatest inventors of the 19th century, among them Thomas Edison, were hard at work on a solution. The telegraph companies of the time invested heavily in research in an effort to increase the transmission rate along with their profits. But its limits were quickly reached, since only one message at a time could be transmitted down the telegraph wire. NARRATOR: In the mid-19th century, telegraphy was considered a miraculous technology. SpaceNext50 Britannica presents SpaceNext50, From the race to the Moon to space stewardship, we explore a wide range of subjects that feed our curiosity about space!. ![]() Learn about the major environmental problems facing our planet and what can be done about them! Saving Earth Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century. ![]()
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