who invented the telephone(NOT the morse code)?

Answer 1

There has been some recent confusion on this question, much of it linked to a misunderstood 2002 resolution of Congress honoring the contributions of Antonio Meucci. Some have taken to saying that Meucci was the "REAL" inventor, have even suggested that Bell stole from him or that Bell was awarded the patent dishonestly because of anti-Italian prejudice. The evidence does not support these claims.

Here's an overview of the issue:

First, note that there were clearly a number of people who were experimenting with things along roughly the same lines in the mid-19th century, building in part on the success of the telegraph. This is scarcely surprising or unusual in the history of inventions.

It is also clear that normal patent application procedures were followed, and that Bell, according to those procedures DID properly procure the patent for the telephone.

There is NO evidence of Bell STEALING his ideas from someone else --nothing in his history supports that suggestion, and he would have to have done unbelievably extensive doctoring of his documents over the course of many years to pull it off. (I do not believe anyone has attempted to demonstrate any such thing based on an examination of his documents --which ARE available.)

Some of the "Meucci, not Bell" claimants have been rather careless in their assertions, and this makes it much harder to credit their arguments. For instance, it is said that he had already come up with the invention long before Bell, but could not AFFORD the costs of patenting it. That would be sad (though legally it would change nothing), but it is difficult then to explain how --during the VERY period in question-- Meucci applied for and received many OTHER patents!

As for the notion that it's all because Meucci was Italian and Bell was not. Please be careful here. It is irresponsible to resort to innuendo and make this into an issue of prejudice, unless one has specific evidence of such prejudice related to the facts of THIS case.

I do not see that anyone has put forward any such evidence. (Unfortunately, on the other side, there are those who have rather quickly endorsed the strongest Meucci claims without, it seems, looking carefully at the evidence. They seem to believe it MUST be true on the basis of THEIR own ethnic pride and/or from anti-WASP sentiment... though it some cases it's just that people often find the very idea of a conspiracy appealing, and may believe them regardless of the actual evidence.)

Remember, giving the credit to Bell is NOT based on some sort of popularity contest, or who was most successful in their efforts to "spin" the history. It is based on the LEGAL records, most importantly, those involving the patent process. (More generally, we have had plenty of folks given patents and credit for inventions who were not "WASP"s.)

Note that the 2002 Congressional resolution does NOT give Meucci credit as "the true inventor of the telephone" as some have claimed, but credits his CONTRIBUTIONS.

Excellent overview of the question:
http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bl_Antonio_Meucci.htm

See for some further citations/sources:
http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/telephone.html

Answer 2

Alexander Graham Bell is the original inventor of the telephone.

Antonio Meucci and Elisha Gray were interlopers who could NOT produce a working model of their so called ideas.

The Scotsman Bell, long involved with the science of sound through his work with the deaf, is without doubt the inventor.

Having a "concept" in not the same as having an invention.

The original patent of the telephone has turned out to be the most valuable patent of all times. Bell's patent was challenged through full legal due process hundreds of times and never overturned.

As far as the Italian inventor, have you been to Italy? The phone systems there still don't work properly.

Answer 3

Alexander Graham Bell.
Bell was an audiologist and inventor best known for his invention of the telephone.

Bell was born in Edinburgh, to a family of speech therapists. For three generations, The Bells had been the foremost authorities on elocution and speech correction. The young Bell was trained to enter the family profession. He had a reliable education at Edinburgh’s Royal High School and was instructed privately from the benchmark text for speech therapists, A M Bell’s Standard Elocution.

Upon leaving college, Bell took up a position as a remedial teacher at school in Elgin where he taught music and elocution. From there, he went to Elgin’s Weston House Academy where, apart from his regular duties, he was given the opportunity to study science. In order to improve his audiological techniques, Bell’s efforts in science were concerned with the transmission of sound.

When Bell’s two brothers were struck down with tuberculosis, the family decided to emigrate to a healthier climate. They moved to Canada, where they continued their family business and Bell continued his experiments in sound. He took up a position in Boston, where he employed a young mechanic, Thomas Watson, to assist him in making the equipment to convey sound waves. After years of patient work, they had a working model. Bell had the privilege of making the first telephone message. It was to Watson in the next room ”Mr Watson, come in here. I want you”.

Bell invented several other gadgets including the first working metal detector. This device was used on the body of assassinated American President, James Garfield, in an attempt to locate the bullet in his body. The attempt would have succeeded had not the late president been lying on a metal bed frame, which confused the instrument.

Answer 4

The credit was given to Alexander Graham Bell, but Elisha Gray actually invented the telephone first. Bell gets the credit due to, of all things, patent office timing. Since Bell's application was handled first, Bell got the credit.

In both life and comedy, timing is everything!

Answer 5

Alexander the Great...
Bill Gates...
Ring Doors...
George Bush...

Alexander Graham Bell... Yes

Answer 6

Alexander Graham Bell is given the credit. There were other inventors who came up with the same idea, but he got his actualized sooner.

Answer 7

AG Bell

Answer 8

alexander grahm bell was the iinventor of the telephone

Answer 9

Bill Gates