Alexander Graham Bell Conducts A Successful Experiment With A Telephone

On March 10, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell conducted a successful experiment with the telephone. This breakthrough, during which he uttered his famous directive to his assistant, Thomas Watson, is recorded in the March 10 entry of his Lab Notebook.

Alexander Graham Bell (3 March 1847 – 2 August 1922) was an eminent scientist, inventor, engineer and innovator who is credited with inventing the first practical telephone.

Bell's father, grandfather, and brother had all been associated with work on elocution and speech, and both his mother and wife were deaf, profoundly influencing Bell's life's work. His research on hearing and speech further led him to experiment with hearing devices which eventually culminated in Bell being awarded the first U.S. patent for the telephone in 1876. In retrospect, Bell considered his most famous invention an intrusion on his real work as a scientist and refused to have a telephone in his study.

Many other inventions marked Bell's later life, including groundbreaking work in hydrofoils and aeronautics. In 1888, Alexander Graham Bell became one of the founding members of the National Geographic Society.

Everyone knows that Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. (Or did he?) But did you know that he invented the telephone in Boston? Well, tucked inside the lobby of the Verizon Building fronting the south side of Post Office Square is Bell's laboratory, removed from the house on 109 Court Street where in 1876 he uttered his first words on the telephone: "Mr. Watson, come here. I want you." And thus, the era of telemarketers was born.