Friday, 12 of May of 2006
The true inventor of the telephone
Reading one of my blogs favorite on science, Histories of science, I was yesterday with a history that it impressed to me:
One has always said that the iventor of the telephone was Alexander Graham Bell, who patented in fact it in 1876. Nevertheless, Fernando tells us how an Italian inventor, of name Antonio Meucci, already worked long before in the communications via cable, and in fact in 1854 an invention finished, that it describes with these words:
“The invention consists of a vibrant diaphragm and a magneto electrified by a thread in spiral surrounds that it. The diaphragm, when vibrating the sound of the word, in each vibration alters the current of the magneto and produces a series of very fast electrical interruptions, like the vibratory movements of the diaphragm. These alterations of current, when transmitting itself to the other end of the thread, print analogous vibrations to the receiving diaphragm and reproduce the word”
That is to say, what nowadays we know like telephone. Nevertheless, this poor man did not have luck in his life, and either too much money. It was not able to attract investors for his invention, his wife was quadriplegic, in a boat trip of steam this one exploded and Meucci was malherido… without sufficient money to register a patent of its invention, had to be satisfied to a prepatent, that it had to renew (and to pay) every year, until in 1874 not even it had the 10 dollars that cost.
From it tells us there to Fernando how between the office of patents, the company of Bell, and the Western Telegraph to which Meucci gave the documentation of its invention, was able to get rid of this one. In a later judgment, one was clear to him like inventor of the telephone, but I cannot receive nor a penny to the had salary to stop paying the prepatent in 1874. Until anything less than White Thomas Edison put itself of their part, but the powerful company Bell (now AT&T) was able to delay the judgments until Meucci died in 1896.
Antonio Santi Giuseppe Meucci (13 of April of 1808 - 18 of October of 1896)
In 1923, the Order of the “Children of Italy in the USA” inaugurated a monument to the memory of Antonio Meucci like “inventor of the telephone”. In 1950 they put to Bell in the “Hall of Fame” of the great American men.
The 11 of June of 2002 the Congress of the United States approved the resolution nº 269 recognizing that was Antonio Meucci the original inventor of the apparatus. One was clear that teletrófono of Meucci (as had baptized therefore it) was publicly in New York in 1860, 16 years before it patented it to Bell. The American verdict also affirms that “the life and profits of Antonio Meucci must be recognized, as well as its work in the invention of the telephone”.
History is really sad. Although Bell has other inventions like the induction balance, a prototype of steel lung for the artificial respiration, fotófono, the radiophone and grafófono and has been enthusiastic of the speed with boats a hydroplane, since in 1919 km/h set a record of 116 speed of when it counted on 72 years of age, which did with Meucci does not have pardon.
An impressive history, and fodder that nothing well-known stops. I recommend to read the original article to know everything what happened. Also, in the commentaries there are very interesting opinions.
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Sad history
Interesting also serious to know like veia the Meucci life, equal was full of happy pride and to the knowledge the origin of the idea.
The lamentable thing is that never it was recognized, at least a applause
An old head, said that the luck was the marriage between the preparation and the opportunity.
He is seen that Meucci did not have much luck, that we say.
I believe that the history of the discoveries is plagued of this type of injustices.
not me to conpñeto but intesante demaciado parecino to not helped in ke buskaba to me but in my personal enrequesimiento.
that you have flkjr to ekgñar, lkrt
pss vrdd confuses much must of reconer officially kien was kien it invention x ke mmmmmm… pss confuses
He is very trizte that the life is thus, the injustice, the people who are sold, the people who let themselves buy, the people who are not honest, unfortunately this is the life, flood of people like Bell.
it was good, but it confuses to me that some say that invention to it Alexander Bell. I do not know if to remove it from here or another Web site.
You are right Jose, we cannot know with complete certainty which is the correct version.
The same happened with the true inventor of the cellular telephone.
Between years 1935, gift Rafael Grasso Fernandez of the city of The $andes of the Republic of Chile, invention a portable telephone equipment, that it called POCKET TELEPHONE, using for it the microwave signal. It tried to patent it in 1939, but the Chilean authorities confiscated it with the pretext to constitute themselves in “military secret”, is necessary to remember that World War II was in all Europe.
Memory the gift words Rafael, when it said to me: “When you are great, all are going to walk with a telephone in the pocket.” It trusted his invention totally.
To see news article in Magazine SEES of Chile, of January of 1940.