Alexander Graham Bell

            Alexander Graham Bell was an eminent scientist, inventor, engineer and innovator who invented the first practical telephone.

            Bell's father, grandfather, and brother had all been associated with work on elocution and speech, and both his mother and wife were deaf, profoundly influencing Bell's life's work. Bell considered his most famous invention an intrusion on his real work as a scientist and refused to have a telephone in his study.

            Alexander Bell was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on March 3, 1847. As a child, young Alexander displayed a natural curiosity about his world, resulting in experimenting even at an early age.

            From his early years, Bell showed a talent for art, poetry and music that was encouraged by his mother. With no formal training, he mastered the piano and became the family's pianist. Bell was also deeply affected by his mother's gradual deafness which led him to study acoustics.

            As a young child, Bell received his early schooling at home. His school record was undistinguished. His main interest remained in the sciences. Upon leaving school, Bell travelled to London to live with his grandfather. During the year he spent with him, a love of learning was born, with long hours spent in serious discussion and study.

            Bell's father encouraged Aleck's interest in speech and, in 1863, took his sons to see a unique automaton. The "mechanical man" simulated a human voice. Aleck was fascinated by the machine.

            In 1870, at age of 23, Bell and his parents travelled to Canada. After setting up his workshop in Canada, Bell continued experiments with electricity and sound.

            On March 10, 1876 Bell succeeded in getting his telephone to work. When Bell spoke the famous sentence "Mr Watson—Come here—I want to see you" Watson, listening at the receiving end in an adjoining room, heard the words clearly. The Bell Telephone Company was created in 1877, and by 1886, over 150,000 people in the U.S. owned telephones

            Although Alexander Graham Bell is most often associated with the invention of the telephone, his interests were extremely varied. Bell's inventions spanned a wide range of interests and included a metal jacket to assist in breathing, the audiometer, a device to locate icebergs, investigations on how to separate salt from seawater, and work on finding alternative fuels.

            On learning of Bell's death, Canadian Prime Minister cabled Mrs. Bell, saying: The Government expresses to you our sense of the world's loss in the death of your distinguished husband. It will ever be a source of pride to our country that the great invention, with which his name is immortally associated, is a part of its history. On the behalf of the citizens of Canada, may I extend to you an expression of our combined gratitude and sympathy.