When Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876, little did he know just how revolutionary his device would become. In time, the telephone became rapidly indispensable in business, government, and in households. Everybody wanted to be connected! Bell wouldn't recognize today's smartphone, but the essential elements—a microphone (transmitter) to speak into and an earphone (receiver) that reproduces the voice in a distant location—are down to his vision, and of others like him.
Click through the following gallery and pick up the fascinating timeline of the telephone.