The History of Telecommunications Wiki
From CSI Wiki Farm
Hello!
Welcome to the CellStream History of Telecommunication Timeline wiki pages. Some of us have been in telecommunications for our entire careers. This history project started many years ago, and has grown to a very large size. We have even split off the Internet History[1] as a separate but related project.
This is a work in progress as we discover new historical data which you can contribute to!
You must register to edit pages here! We would love some additional participation, so let us know if you want to help
What is Telecommunication?
- Tele (Greek) = distant
Alexander Graham Bell constructed this prototype telephone in 1875. The device consists of a coil of wire, a magnetic arm and a taut membrane. Any sound causes the membrane, and hence the magnetic arm, to vibrate. The movement of the magnet induces a fluctuating electric current in the coil. This electrical signal can be reconverted into sound by an identical apparatus at the other end of the circuit.
- Communication (Latin) = connection
Human beings have always had a need to share their thoughts and experiences. In earlier times it was difficult to stay in touch with people who lived far away. Today, you can pick up the phone and talk to people anywhere in the world. Communication is necessary for human development.
A number of individuals (click on their names to see their pictures) have contributed to the development of electricity and early telecommunications.
- Volta 1800 Chemical battery
- Ørsted 1820 Electromagnetism
- Ampere 1820 Electromagnetic theory
- Faraday 1831 Electromagnetic induction
Diagram of what generally happens during the electromagnetic process - Morse 1837 Electric telegraph
- Bell 1876 Telephone
- Edison 1880 Carbon transmitter
- Hertz 1886 Carbon transmitter
- Marconi 1900 Radio
- Fleming 1904 Radio tube
- Baird 1925 Television
A Visual History of the Telephone thanks to AT&T
B.C.
0000-1199
1200-1499
1500-1699
1700-1799
1800-1869
1870-1875
1876-1877
1878
1879-1880
1881-1885
1886-1891
1892-1899
1900-1910
1911-1915
1916-1919
1920-1925
1926-1929
1930-1935
1936-1939
1940-1945
1946-1949
1950-1952
1953-1955
1956
1957-1959
1960-1961
1962-1963
1964-1965
1966-1967
1968
1969
1970-1972
1973-1979
1980-1984
1985-1989
1990-1995
1996-1997
1998-1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Sources Used during the creation of this information include but are not limited to:
- AT&T
- Wikipedia
- Various History time lines
- Telephony Magazine
- Business Communications Review Magazine
- 8bit-museum.de
- Apple History
- History of Computing Information compiled by (late) Mike Muuss (author of ping) at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL)
- Cable & Wireless. A History
- The Dead Media Project, by Bruce Sterling
- http://www.cclab.com/billhist.htm
- Hobbes' Internet Timeline
- IEEE History Center
- ISOC
- ITU, ITU's History
- Our thousands of friends and users (thank you)!
- http://www.nasa.gov/
