1876 - Alexander Graham Bell patents the telephone built with the assistance of Thomas A. Watson. Bell tested his device by speaking into the phone and asking Watson to “come here -- I want to see you.” Watson came and declared he had heard and understood what Bell said. Bell wanted to sell his invention to the Western Union telegraph company, but the president of Western Union turned him down, saying that the telephone was “nothing but a toy.” Bell formed his own company, which made him a millionaire. (Library of Congress)