The Telephone Inventor History Forgot

Elisha Gray filed a telephone patent on the exact same day as Alexander Graham Bell. Many experts believe Gray actually invented the technology first, but he lost his claim in a high-stakes legal battle over a liquid transmitter.

The race to patent the telephone is one of the most controversial events in scientific history. While Bell is credited with the discovery, Gray had already been successfully experimenting with liquid transmitters for two years. Some historians argue that Bell may have gained access to Gray's designs before filing his own paperwork. Ultimately, the court sided with Bell, leaving Gray as a footnote in the shadow of a global icon.