The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell , who was granted the first patent for a working telephone on March 7, 1876. Bell made the famous first successful voice transmission with this device shortly thereafter. However, there were other important contributors such as Antonio Meucci, who developed an early version of the telephone and whose contributions were recognized by the U.S. Congress in 2002. Despite controversies and other claimants like Elisha Gray and Philipp Reis, Bell's patent and work led to the commercial development and popularization of the telephone, earning him the credit as the primary inventor.
