Alexander Graham Bell

Alexander Graham Bell
Portrait photo taken between 1914–19
Born	March 3, 1847 Edinburgh, Scotland
Died	August 2, 1922(1922-08-02) (aged 75) Beinn Bhreagh, Nova Scotia, Canada
Cause of death	Complications from diabetes
Residence	United Kingdom Canada United States
Citizenship	birth–1882    British 1870–71     in Canada  1882–death  American
Alma mater	University of Edinburgh University College London
Occupation	Inventor Scientist Engineer Professor a Teacher of the deaf
Known for	Invention of the telephone b
Spouse(s)	Mabel Hubbard (m. 1877–1922)
Children	four c
Parent(s)	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	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
aBoston University (see below). b See below. c Two died soon after birth.

External audio

Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Watson, 26:58, CBC Archives

Alexander Graham Bell (March 3, 1847 – August 2, 1922) was a Scottish-born scientist, inventor, engineer and innovator who is credited with patenting the first practical telephone.

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. 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 in 1876. Bell considered his most famous invention an intrusion on his real work as a scientist and refused to have a telephone in his study.

Many other inventions marked Bell's later life, including groundbreaking work in optical telecommunications, hydrofoils and aeronautics. Although Bell was not one of the 33 founders of the National Geographic Society, he had a strong influence on the magazine while serving as the second president from January 7, 1898, until 1903.

Alexander Bell was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on March 3, 1847. The family home was at 16 South Charlotte Street, and has a stone inscription marking it as Alexander Graham Bell's birthplace. He had two brothers: Melville James Bell (1845–70) and Edward Charles Bell (1848–67), both of whom would die of tuberculosis. His father was Professor Alexander Melville Bell, a phonetician, and his mother was Eliza Grace (née Symonds). Born as just "Alexander Bell", at age 10 he made a plea to his father to have a middle name like his two brothers. For his 11th birthday, his father acquiesced and allowed him to adopt the name "Graham", chosen out of respect for Alexander Graham, a Canadian being treated by his father who had become a family friend. To close relatives and friends he remained "Aleck".

As a child, young Bell displayed a natural curiosity about his world, resulting in gathering botanical specimens as well as experimenting even at an early age. His best friend was Ben Herdman, a neighbour whose family operated a flour mill, the scene of many forays. Young Bell asked what needed to be done at the mill. He was told wheat had to be dehusked through a laborious process and at the age of 12, Bell built a homemade device that combined rotating paddles with sets of nail brushes, creating a simple dehusking machine that was put into operation and used steadily for a number of years. In return, Ben's father John Herdman gave both boys the run of a small workshop in which to "invent".