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Wednesday, July 29, 2026

"NEW YORK NEW YORK TO SAN FRANCISCO CALIFORNIA"

FIRST TRANSCONTINENTAL PHONE CALL MADE BY AT&T PRESIDENT

San Francisco, California (JFK+50) On July 29, 1914, the first transcontinental telephone call was made from New York City to San Francisco by the president of American Telephone & Telegraph Company.

The final splice in the transcontinental line was made at Wendover, Nevada.  

AT&T had purchased Alexander Graham Bell's company in 1899 and began researching the possibility of building a transcontinental telephone line in 1908.

The first transcontinental telephone service began on January 15, 1915.

JFK+50 NOTE

By 1907, AT&T controlled 80% of the U.S. telephone system market.  Today it is the third largest telecommunications company behind T-mobile & Verizon.

SOURCES

"Alexander Graham Bell Demonstrates AT&T Transcontinental Telephone Line," The Learning Network, Janaury 25, 2012, www.learning.blogs.nytimes.com/

"First Test Transcontinental Phone Call Made 101 Years Ago," JFK+50, July 29, 2015, www.jfk50.blogspot.com/

"The First Transcontinental Telephone Call," This Day in Tech History, www.thisdayintechhistory.com/

 
 
Alexander Graham Bell
Calling Chicago from New York City
1892
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