What year did Alexander Graham Bell invent the telephone?

Alexander Graham Bell invented and patented the telephone in 1876. He was 29 years old at the time. Within one year, he started Bell Telephone Company.

Western Union filed patent litigation against Bell in 1878. This case was settled in 1879, just months after Bell Telephone and New York Telephone merged to form the first national telephone company. In 1885, American Telephone and Telegraph Company formed to handle long-distance calling. In 1915, the first transcontinental telephone line opened with Bell taking part in the ceremonies. Alexander Graham Bell died on August 2, 1922, but telephones have continued to evolve and provide worldwide communication.