After years of research and testing that day
When Bell uttered the famous phrase “Mr. Watson-come here-I want to see you” into the liquid transmitter, Watson, listening on the receiving end in an adjoining room, picked up the obvious words.
Although Bell was, and still is, accused of stealing the phone of Elisha Grey, a contemporary inventor, he demonstrated Grey’s water transmitter design only after he was granted his own patent, and as a scientific experiment, to satiate his curiosity.
Their discovery marked the beginning of a technology that today remains one of the most important communication resources in our daily lives.
But the story of this historic moment has a grim context. Bell wasn’t the only one working on a phone model. In 1860 Antonio Meucci presented the telephone, which, due to lack of money, he could not patent. With this invention he was able to transmit the voice of a singer over a considerable distance. In 1871 he did a preliminary paperwork on his invention and approached Western Union, who prolonged the presentation of his material until they informed him that they had lost it.
In 1876, Meucci learned of Bell’s invention and took legal action, but years passed and nothing improved. He passed away in 1886 without recognition of his work. It was not until 2002 that his work and contributions were given credit in the Official Gazette of the United States House of Representatives.
On March 7, 1876 Alexander Graham Bell transmitted the first message by telephone.
Script and voice over by Pita Fortin
by Radio Profile FM 101.9
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