National Phone Day: Oh How Things Have Changed

What would we do if we couldn't make or take that call? Think about it. Today is National Telephone Day celebrating the 156th anniversary of the first ever telephone call. Thank you Alexander Graham Bell, the man credited with inventing the telephone, a device that nowadays might as well be attached at birth.

By the time this story is posted, today's mobile phone, or more properly, mobile device will be capable of a million more things than my phone could do this morning. It's a computer in the palm of your hand. It's replaced so many things in your life. It's a phone, a camera, a video recorder, an audio recorder, a calculator, an alarm, a stereo, photo album, it can play your favorite movies and tv shows and with millions of apps its abilities are unlimited.

The flip phone. I bought one similar to this for my wife many years ago after repeatedly locking her out of the house. This way she could call and wake me up so she doesn't have to sleep in the car. (True story)

Some early phones could take calls and that's about it. Notice the retractable antennae.

We still pay for a landline and have a house phone similar to this.

We still have one like this, actually plugged in, so the grandkids can experience a little history and maybe learn something. Hang it on the wall, rest it on the end table but it still has to be hooked up, attached via a cord, to the wall.

Your kids might be able to figure out this one.

This "mobile phone" , sometines used in a car (when that was legal), was as big as a man's shoe!

The rotary phone. Stick your finger in the hole above the number you want and rotate that wheel clockwise nearly a full turn until it stops. Then repeat that action for each numeral in the recipient's phone number. This is a fun game to play with your kids.

The pay phone. Often found in public places, sometimes in a private booth. It would cost you a coin or two to make a short call. Still using the rotary feature before advancing to push buttons.

Early 20th century style. Crank it to make a connection, Talk into the center hole while holding that thing on the left to your ear. Yes, and you had to "dial" the number.

Similar to the above style.

Earlier version of the above style with no dial. You asked the operator to connect you to the recipient.

We've come a long way, haven't we?