Five of the most famous phone calls in history

The phone call - it’s part of everyday life for most of us. Whether we’re making that vital business connection or just having a chat with a good friend, the phone call is something we take for granted. But have you ever thought about the significance of certain calls? Because the phone call, like so many other great innovations, has some impressive historical associations. So, it’s not really that surprising that there are some fascinating stories linked with it…

1. The First

When I think of all the phone calls I’ve made in my life. Some good, some perhaps not so good. Either way, I've probably been as guilty as most for taking for granted the ability to make them in the first place. But what about the very first phone call that ever happened? Imagine being there when that took place! It was the 7th March 1876 when Alexander Graham Bell was given the US patent 174465A for a method of transmitting speech by telegraphy - AKA the telephone (or the phone as most of us know it today). But the world’s first phone call actually took place two months before this. It was between Alexander Graham Bell and his assistant, Thomas Watson. Although Bell hailed from Edinburgh, the inaugural call took place via a two-mile length of wire connecting Boston and Cambridge in the US. His first words on the phone? Well, there is something of a discrepancy between what Bell remembered saying and how Watson remembered it, but the general gist was “Mr. Watson – come here – I want to see you.” Do you think Alexander Graham Bell could ever have imagined, as he made that historic phone call, how much we would all come to rely on the phone? He probably wouldn’t have anticipated even in his wildest dreams quite how vital the phone would become in our personal and business lives. One final irony is that Bell refused to have a phone in his own house as he wasn’t hugely taken with his own invention!

2. The Longest

I enjoy a nice long chat. Not in work time, of course. Many of us also know someone who loves a good discussion and putting the world to rights over the phone. That’s a nice thing, as long as it’s not something they do with their business clients, as etiquette really matters in business calls. Think of the most talkative person you know and double that. Now think about talking for 40 hours straight on the phone. That’s almost two solid days with no breaks. And it’s the duration of the record-breaking call made by Cornishman, Tony Wright, in 2007.  While the call was 40 hours long, Mr Wright spoke to many different individuals. In fact, people kindly took shifts in order to keep the talk flowing. Despite this incredibly lengthy call, Wright only beat the previous record by one minute. That’s what we call a close call! You may be wondering about the cost of this mammoth conversation. Well, fear not. Mr Wright seems to be as talented at saving pennies as he does at conversing on the phone. He made the call from an internet phone in order to avoid having a scary bill spoil his record-breaking achievement!

3. The Furthest

Ever made a call from somewhere unusual? The rise of the mobile phone certainly makes that possible. But what about a call to a place with no light, gravity… or anything much at all? That’s exactly what happened in 1969 when one of the most historically important phone calls took place between the President of the United States, Richard Nixon, and the astronauts, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong. The two men had just made their famous walk on the moon when the President called them. His words?

“Hello Neil and Buzz, I am talking to you by telephone from the Oval Room at the White House, and this certainly has to be the most historic telephone call ever made from the White House.”

The call was not only historic for White House but for the whole world. It’s incredible to think of people in that era looking at the moon and realising that there were two men who had managed to speak directly with the US President from all the way up there!

4. The Most Royal

It may seem funny to think of the Royal Family using the phone, but they must do. Perhaps they have a special assistant to hand the phone to them but after that, it will probably just be a phone call like any of us would make. But there one was phone call which made history and not only because it involved our reigning monarch. This took place back in 1958. Her Majesty made a call to the Lord Provost of Edinburgh from the central telephone exchange in Bristol. Her words were “This is the Queen speaking from Bristol. Good afternoon, my lord provost.” You may be wondering why this is such a big deal. The reason is that it was the very first long distance call made in the UK without the involvement of an operator. These days, we don’t even think about operators. But it was only a few decades ago that the operator was an essential part of a landline call - and certainly for long-distance landline calls. These days, the phone call is a much simpler affair. No royals or operators required.

5. The Tensest

OK, I cheated. This next one isn’t a real-life phone call. But it certainly was one of the most nail-biting that we ever watched: Phone Booth, the 2002 film directed by Joel Schumacher. Spoiler alert: a character played by the inimitable Colin Farrell ends up having the most stressful phone call of his life when he decides to make a call from a New York phone booth. The plot gets very tense as the poor character is forced to stay on the call. Not because the person he’s talking to is feeling chatty. Nope, the reason he has to stay on the call is because something bad will happen if he doesn’t. It’s certainly a very clever idea for a film. However, with the dominance of mobile phones these days, you can’t help wondering whether this film would even be made now. The answer? Probably not. But it is certainly enjoyable and well-reviewed. And it will certainly make you feel a bit more cautious about stepping into a New York phone booth!

Do You Agree?

Do you agree with my choices? Which of these famous phone calls do you think is the most important? Whatever your view, they are all a great reminder that, while those work phone calls might just seem like an everyday task, each and every one is important to get right. You may not be talking from the moon or speaking for 40 hours straight, but phone calls managed effectively really could have a historic impact on your business.

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