The telephone is one of the most world-altering inventions in history. It is right up there with electricity and the wheel. Telephones provide the ability to communicate with someone in an efficient way without having to be present with them. That ability has far reaching implications in world politics and personal relationships. Here are some of the most important telephone calls or telephone uses in history:
1. Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876. His first call was to Thomas Watson. The message? "Mr. Watson, come here. I want to see you." With this first message began a whole world of communication.
2. The USSR-US Hotline was established in 1963, during the Cold War. This was a direct line that ran between the leaders of the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The idea was that a direct telephone line would help to "lessen the threat of an accidental nuclear war."
3. In 1969, President Nixon called Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. He was in America; they were on the moon. Find a transcript of that conversation here.
These are just a few of the many phone calls that have shaped history. In today's world, one of the most important things about telephones is their relationship with national security. Do people have the right to private telephone conversations? Can the government listen to phone calls, even without a warrant? Should Apple unlock a terrorist's iPhone? There is a world of questions and communication still to be figured out.
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