Telephone Timeline: All Events - Telephonearchive.com

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National Bell merges with American Speaking Tel. to become American Bell Telephone Co.

National Bell merges with American Speaking Tel. to become American Bell Telephone Co.

1880

Bell turns his focus to the Photophone

Alexander Graham Bell

1880

British government rules for Bell against Edison

1880

American Bell creates Long Lines division

1880

Western Union carries 29 million telegraph messages per year

Western Union carries 29 million telegraph messages per year

1880

Doolittle joins American Bell

Thomas B. Doolittle

1880

Telephone service begins in Canada, Mexico, Australia, Sweden and Denmark

1880

Bell Telephone Company of Canada founded

Bell Telephone Company of Canada founded

1880

Telephone Exchanges open in Berlin, Vienna, and Sydney

1881

First telephone lines in Constantinople and Egypt

1881

Metallic circuit introduced

1881

Bell ends technical role at Bell Telephone, establishes Volta Laboratory

Alexander Graham Bell

1881

Watson retires from Bell at age 27

Thomas A. Watson

1881

National Telephone Co formed by merger of Bell and Edison interests

National Telephone Co formed by merger of Bell and Edison interests

1881

Bell acquires Western Electric, and Enos Barton takes over engineering

1881

First telephone exchanges in India, Russia, and Shanghai

1882

Bell Telephone Manufacturing Co. founded in Antwerp

Bell Telephone Manufacturing Co. founded in Antwerp

1882

First long-distance line: Boston to Providence

1882

Ericsson opens its first major factory at Tulegatan

Ericsson opens its first major factory at Tulegatan

1884

Doolittle builds the first long distance copper wire circuit (NY to Boston)

Thomas B. Doolittle

1884

Woods patents improved telephone transmitter

Granville Woods

1884

American Bell forms AT&T as subsidiary to operate long distance network

1885

Puskas introduces the multiplex switchboard

1887

Heaviside discovers inductive loading for telephone lines

Oliver Heaviside

1887

First blue 'Bell' signs start to appear in the U.S.

First blue 'Bell' signs start to appear in the U.S.

1888

Supreme Court upholds Bell's patent

Supreme Court upholds Bell's patent

1888

Almon Strowger invents the automatic switch

1889

Gray patents the coin-operated payphone

1889