National Telephone Day – April 25, 2024

U.S.

Timeline
Importance
Celebrate

Take a moment on National Telephone Day this April 25, to recall comedian Gary Gulman’s classic riff:

“To me, the phone is a seldom-used app on my phone.”

We have come a long way. If you ask most people who invented the phone, they would likely respond not with “Alexander Graham Bell,” but with “Steve Jobs.”

Well, Apple’s 2007 iPhone release did change mobile technology forever. A camera, iPod, computer, and phone — all in one handheld device? Sounds quaint now, but tell that to the folks who lined up for days trying the buy one.

Gary’s right. The “phone” part of your phone seems like an afterthought. Disagree?

You can always text us.

National Telephone Day timeline

1667

Kiss Me Through the Phone

Robert Hooke, a British physicist, invents the ‘tin can telephone,’ also known as the ‘lovers’ phone.’

1876

Telephone Invented

Inventor Elisha Gray files a patent for the telephone within hours of Alexander Graham Bell, but Bell's patent gets approved first.

1877

Phone Home

The first regular phone line is constructed between Somerville and Boston.

1915

Calling Goes Transcontinental

Bell, located in New York, calls Thomas Watson in San Francisco, probably to argue about who was paying cheaper rent (history cannot confirm).

National Telephone Day Activities

Try to really call someone
Go ahead. Shock your friends with an actual phone call on National Telephone Day. They'll likely think you have something very serious to say.
Get nostalgic
Ask your grandparents about the energy needed to "dial" a phone — and why they dreaded numbers with lots of zeroes.
Upgrade
Still carrying around that iPhone 5? You're saving money, but consider your reputation.

Why We Love National Telephone Day

Smart phones changed everything
For starters, they turned traditional landline phones into museum pieces. An entire generation has grown up without phones that plug into walls. Even early cell phones now seem obsolete. Is it time to find a new name for National Telephone Day?
Anything, anytime, anywhere
Want to order a juicer at 3am? How 'bout a plane ticket to Prague? There's not much you can't access anymore. If it's legal, you can probably make it happen with your phone.
Emergencies
The dawn of instant communication has no doubt saved lives. Your phones can potentially bail you out of many emergencies.