Who invented the telephone?

The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell, who was officially awarded the first US patent for the invention of the telephone in 1876. His experiments and developments in communication technology focused on transmitting voice signals electronically. This innovation revolutionized the way people communicate over long distances, laying the foundation for modern telecommunications.

While other inventors such as Elisha Gray also contributed to the field of communication and filed a patent for a similar device around the same time, Bell is most widely recognized for successfully creating a working model of the telephone and promoting its use. Thomas Edison, while a prolific inventor and known for his work in electric light and sound, did not invent the telephone. The name "Graham Bell" in one of the choices is misleading as it omits his first name, though it refers to the same inventor. Therefore, Alexander Graham Bell is rightly credited as the inventor of the telephone due to his significant role and successful patenting of the technology.