The telephone was invented twice on the same day. On 14 February 1876 both Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray filed papers for similar devices at the patent office, and who came first was fought over in court for years.

1876

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The event

• Invention of the telephone1876 · Boston. In March 1876 Alexander Graham Bell was granted a patent for the telephone and days later spoke the first words over a wire to his assistant. Long-distance voice communication transformed business, daily life and government.

19th century

More amazing facts

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• 1876 The telephone and the end of samurai swords arrived together: Bell patented the telephone in March 1876, and on 28 March Japan banned carrying swords in public.
• 1876 On the very day Custer died at the Little Bighorn, Bell was showing off the telephone.
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• 1877 · 1894 An Arizona observatory was built to study Martian canals.

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