Telephone Timeline: First Calls - Telephonearchive.com

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First long distance call

Alexander Graham Bell

1876

First telephone line completed, between Charles Williams Jr's home and office

Charles Williams, Jr.

1877

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

1880

First telephone lines in Constantinople and Egypt

1881

First long-distance line: Boston to Providence

1882

First New York to Chicago phone call

First New York to Chicago phone call

1893

First transcontinental phone call (between Bell and Watson)

Alexander Graham Bell

Bancroft Gherardi Jr.

Thomas A. Watson

1915

First long-distance video transmission over copper (with Herbert Hoover)

First long-distance video transmission over copper (with Herbert Hoover)

1927

First transatlantic phone calls, using radio signals

First transatlantic phone calls, using radio signals

1927

First phone call routed around the world

First phone call routed around the world

1935

First direct-dialed transcontinental call

First direct-dialed transcontinental call

1951

Queen Calls Edinburgh

Queen Calls Edinburgh

1958

Lady Bird Johnson makes first Picturephone call

Lady Bird Johnson makes first Picturephone call

1965

Cooper makes the first handheld cell phone call

1973

First SMS Message sent

First SMS Message sent

1992