I Just Called To Say...
A Love Letter To Alexander Graham Bell
Of all 19th-century inventions, my favorite is the telephone.
While the light bulb, the phonograph, and still and motion picture photography revolutionized the world too, the telephone connected us in unimaginable ways before its creation.
Before texts, emails, DMs, and video calls, the telephone was the first device to truly shrink the vastness of distance between people.
And for that, we have Alexander Graham Bell to thank.
Bell’s invention of the telephone—patented in 1876—was more than just another invention; it was a new way of being. Suddenly, voices could traverse miles in an instant. Families no longer had to rely on letters that took weeks to arrive. Businesses could flourish with quicker communication. And, perhaps most importantly, people could hear the voices of their loved ones, no matter how far apart they were.
As someone who appreciates the beauty of human connection, I marvel at how the telephone laid the foundation for modern communication. Every phone call, every whispered “I miss you” over long distances, every urgent piece of news delivered in real-time—all of it began with Bell’s pioneering work.
Today’s smartphones, video calls, and even voice assistants are just refined updates to Bell’s initial, brilliant invention.
And let’s not forget the cultural impact of the telephone. From romantic late-night calls to dramatic “hang-ups” in movies, from prank calls to heartfelt confessions—our relationship with the telephone has shaped personal communication and pop culture in profound ways.
The telephone is not just a tool; it is a symbol of connection, urgency, intimacy, and, sometimes, heartbreak.
Born on this day, cheers to Alexander Graham Bell—an inventor whose work not only changed the world but also shaped the way we express love, longing, and friendship.
Whether it’s an old-fashioned rotary dial or the latest iPhone, every time we hear a dial tone or a ringtone, we are, in some small way, paying tribute to his genius.
I just called to say... thank you, Mr. Bell!
Clint 🌈✌️
ON THIS DAY = MARCH 3
BIRTHDAYS
1831 = George Pullman = American engineer and Pullman Company founder
1845 = Georg Cantor = Russian-German mathematician and philosopher
1847 = Alexander Graham Bell = Scottish engineer and telephone inventor
1882 = Charles Ponzi = Italian businessman and conman
1893 = Beatrice Wood = American illustrator and potter
1911 = Jean Harlow = American actor
1933 = Lee Radziwill = American socialite
1940 = Perry Ellis = American fashion designer 🌈
1941 = Mike Pender = English singer-songwriter
1945 = George Miller = Australian filmmaker
1945 = Hattie Winston = American actor
1947 = Jennifer Warnes = American singer-songwriter
1948 = Jean O'Leary = American activist, Lesbian Feminist Liberation founder, and National Coming Out Day co-founder 🌈
1950 = Tim Kazurinsky = American actor and screenwriter
1954 = Édouard Lock = Moroccan-Canadian dancer and choreographer
1959 = Ira Glass = American radio host and producer
1962 = Glen E. Friedman = American photographer
1966 = Tone Lōc = American rapper, producer, and actor
1970 = Julie Bowen = American actor
1973 = Xavier Bettel = Prime Minister of Luxembourg 🌈
1974 = David Faustino = American actor
1977 = Buddy Valastro = American chef and tv host
1982 = Jessica Biel = American actor, singer, and producer
EVENTS
1861 = Alexander II of Russia signs the Emancipation Manifesto, freeing serfs.
1873 = Censorship in the United States: The US Congress enacts the Comstock Law, making it illegal to send any "obscene literature and articles of immoral use" through the mail.
1875 = Bizet's opera Carmen is first performed at the Opéra-Comique in Paris.
1875 = The first ever organized indoor game of ice hockey is played in
1913 = Thousands of women march in the Woman Suffrage Procession in Washington, D.C.
1923 = US magazine Time publishes its first issue.
1931 = "The Star-Spangled Banner" officially becomes the US national anthem by congressional resolution; lyrics by Francis Scott Key in 1814 are set to John Stafford Smith's 18th-century tune "The Anacreontic Song."
1938 = Oil is discovered in Saudi Arabia.
1939 = In Bombay, Mohandas Gandhi begins a hunger strike in protest at the autocratic rule in British India.
1985 = Moonlighting premieres on ABC.
1986 = The Australia Act 1986 commences, causing Australia to become fully independent from the United Kingdom.
1989 = Lean On Me is released in theaters.
HOLIDAYS + OBSERVANCES
PORTRAIT + QUOTE OF THE DAY
“A man, as a general rule, owes very little to what he is born with - a man is what he makes of himself.”
Alexander Graham Bell