Alexander Graham Bell

Alexander Graham Bell (/ˈɡreɪ.əm/, born Alexander Bell; March 3, 1847 – August 2, 1922)[4] was a Scottish-born[N 1] inventor, scientist and engineer who is credited with patenting the first practical telephone. He also co-founded the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) in 1885.[7]

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Alexander Graham Bell
Bell c. 1917
Born	Alexander Bell March 3, 1847 Edinburgh, Scotland
Died	August 2, 1922(1922-08-02) (aged 75) Beinn Bhreagh, Nova Scotia, Canada
Citizenship	United Kingdom (1847–1922) British-subject in Canada (1870–1882) United States (1882–1922)
Alma mater	University of Edinburgh University College London
Occupations	Inventor scientist engineer professor a teacher of the deaf [2]
Known for	Invention of the telephone b Co-founder of Bell Canada & AT&T
Spouse	Mabel Gardiner Hubbard ​ ​ (m. 1877)​
Children	4
Parents	Alexander Melville Bell Eliza Grace Symonds Bell
Relatives	Gardiner G. Hubbard (father-in-law) David C. Bell (uncle) Gilbert H. Grosvenor (son-in-law) David Fairchild (son-in-law) Melville Bell Grosvenor (grandson) Mabel Grosvenor (granddaughter) A. Graham Bell Fairchild (grandson) Gilbert Grosvenor (great-grandson) Edwin Grosvenor (great-grandson) Chichester Bell (cousin)
Awards	1883  NAS Member 1902  Albert Medal 1907  John Fritz Medal 1912  Elliott Cresson Medal
Bell's voice [3] Re-identified in 2013, Bell made this wax-disc recording of his voice in 1885.
Signature
Notes
a Boston University (see below). b See below. c Two died soon after birth.

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.[8] His research on hearing and speech further led him to experiment with hearing devices which eventually culminated in Bell being awarded the first U.S. patent for the telephone, on March 7, 1876.[N 2] Bell considered his invention an intrusion on his real work as a scientist and refused to have a telephone in his study.[9][N 3]

Many other inventions marked Bell's later life, including groundbreaking work in optical telecommunications, hydrofoils, and aeronautics. Bell also had a strong influence on the National Geographic Society[11] and its magazine while serving as the second president from January 7, 1898, until 1903.

Beyond his work in engineering, Bell had a deep interest in the emerging science of heredity.[12]