First Telephone Book Issued: New Haven Gets 50 Names
The first telephone book had 50 names. No numbers. You just picked up and told the operator who you wanted. The New Haven District Telephone Company published it on a single sheet of paper in February 1878. Within two years, they had to add numbers because operators couldn't keep up. That's when your phone stopped being a person you asked and became a number you dialed.
February 21, 1878
148 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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