On February 14, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell gained worldwide recognition by patenting the telephone. However, just a few hours later, another inventor, Elisha Gray, submitted a patent for the telephone.
Like Bell, Gray was deeply invested in the invention of the telephone. He developed a telephone using a liquid transmitter and applied for a patent. However, because Bell submitted his patent application just a few hours earlier, Gray ultimately lost his telephone patent.
Gray insisted that he had invented the telephone before Bell, but since he was outpaced in the patent race, he never gained recognition as the inventor. He lost his legal battle against Bell and was ultimately forced to withdraw from the telephone business.
However, the history of the telephone’s invention is far more complex than commonly known. In reality, an Italian inventor named Antonio Meucci created the prototype, known as the “telettrofono,” in 1854—more than 20 years before Bell and Gray. Meucci developed this device to communicate with his sick wife, but due to financial constraints, he could only secure a temporary patent.
When Bell later patented the telephone, Meucci filed a lawsuit. However, facing financial hardship and health issues, he ultimately had to abandon his legal battle. In 2002, the U.S. Congress officially recognized Meucci as the first telephone inventor, yet the general public still widely credits Bell.
Meanwhile, although Gray never earned recognition as the inventor of the telephone, he contributed numerous innovative inventions across various fields. In addition to his work on the telephone, he developed the telegraph, switching devices, and optical telegraphy, among other technologies, and registered over 70 patents with the U.S. Patent Office. Today, he is still remembered as a great inventor.
