10 Interesting Facts about Alexander Graham Bell


One of these following facts about Alexander Graham Bell should provide you much information about him. Alexander Graham Bell was an eminent scientist, inventor, engineer and innovator who is credited with inventing 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 US patent for the telephone in 1876. Furthermore, to get to know more about him, here are some other facts about Alexander Graham Bell you might be interested in.

Facts about Alexander Graham Bell 1: Inventions

Many other inventions marked Bell’s later life, including groundbreaking work in optical telecommunications, hydrofoils and aeronautics. In 1888, Bell became one of the founding members of the National Geographic Society. If you’re an inventor like Mr. Bell, then head on over to Invent Help for professional support.

Facts about Alexander Graham Bell 2: First Invention

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, John Herdman gave both boys the run of a small workshop in which to “invent”.

Facts about Alexander Graham Bell - Allexander Graham Bell
Facts about Alexander Graham Bell – Allexander Graham Bell

Facts about Alexander Graham Bell 3: Pianist

From his early years, Bell showed a sensitive nature and a talent for art, poetry and music that was encouraged by his mother. With no formal training, he mastered the piano and became the family’s pianist.

Facts about Alexander Graham Bell 4: Elocutionist

His family was long associated with the teaching of elocution: his grandfather, Alexander Bell, in London, his uncle in Dublin, and his father, in Edinburgh, were all elocutionists. His father published a variety of works on the subject, several of which are still well known, especially his “The Standard Elocutionist” (1860), which appeared in Edinburgh in 1868.

Facts about Alexander Graham Bell - Bell's residence
Facts about Alexander Graham Bell – Bell’s residence

Facts about Alexander Graham Bell 5: Experiments with Sound

At the age of 19, he wrote a report on his work and sent it to philologist Alexander Ellis, a colleague of his father. Ellis immediately wrote back indicating that the experiments were similar to existing work in Germany, and also lent Aleck a copy of Hermann von Helmholtz’s work, “The Sensations of Tone as a Physiological Basis for the Theory of Music”.

Facts about Alexander Graham Bell 6: Work with the Deafs

Bell’s father was invited by Sarah Fuller, principal of the Boston School for Deaf Mutes in Boston, Massachusetts, to introduce the Visible Speech System by providing training for Fuller’s instructors, but he declined the post, in favor of his son.

Facts about Alexander Graham Bell - Experiments
Facts about Alexander Graham Bell – Experiments

Facts about Alexander Graham Bell 7: Continuing Experimentation

In the following year, Bell became professor of Vocal Physiology and Elocution at the Boston University. School of Oratory. During this period, he alternated between Boston and Brantford, spending summers in his Canadian home. At Boston University, Bell was “swept up” by the excitement engendered by the many scientists and inventors residing in the city.

Facts about Alexander Graham Bell 8: Telephone

By 1874, Bell’s initial work on the harmonic telegraph had entered a formative stage with progress it made both at his new Boston “laboratory” (a rented facility) as well as at his family home in Canada a big success.While working that summer in Brantford, Bell experimented with a “phonautograph”, a pen-like machine that could draw shapes of sound waves on smoked glass by tracing their vibrations.

Facts about Alexander Graham Bell - Later years
Facts about Alexander Graham Bell – Later years

Facts about Alexander Graham Bell 9: Developments

Continuing his experiments in Brantford, Bell brought home a working model of his telephone. On August 3, 1876, from the telegraph office in Mount Pleasant five miles (8 km) away from Brantford, Bell sent a tentative telegram indicating that he was ready. With curious onlookers packed into the office as witnesses, faint voices were heard replying.

Facts about Alexander Graham Bell 10: Interest

Although Alexander Graham Bell is most often associated with the invention of the telephone, his interests were extremely varied. According to one of his biographers, Charlotte Gray, Bell’s work ranged “unfettered across the scientific landscape and he often went to bed voraciously reading the Encyclopedia Britannica, scouring it for new areas of interest.

Facts about Alexander Graham Bell - Melville House
Facts about Alexander Graham Bell – Melville House

Hope you would find those Alexander Graham Bell facts really interesting, useful and helpful for your additional reading.


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