Alexander Graham Bell

Alexander Graham Bell was born in Edinburgh on March 3, 1847. His father was Alexander Melville Bell and his mother was Eliza Bell. At the age of 17 he began to teach elocution and music at Western House Academy in Elgin, Scotland. From time to time he also gave lessons at a school for deaf-mutes in Bosten. During that time he was working on his telegraphic experiements. In 1876, Bell invented the telephone. One year later, he founded the Bell Telephone Company. A few years later, the telephone could be found in private households. In the early 1890s the Electrophone company was founded in London. It served as a broadcast medium, providing transmissions of masses, operas or plays. To use this service, people had to subscribe to the company. After that, they could just pick up their phones and were connected to Electrophone. The company would then ask which theatre or church they wanted to be connected to.

  However, the telephone was not his only invention. He also invented the photophone, which transmitted sounds on a beam of light. He did some experiments to remove salt from seawater. Furthermore, he had a great interest in aviation and did a lot of experiments with kites and propellers. 
  Alexander Graham Bell died on August 2, 1922 and was buried on August 4, 1922 in Beinn Bhreagh, Canada. 

Bruce, Robert V. Bell. Alexander Graham Bell and the Conquest of Solitude. Victor Gollanz: London, 1973.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8668311.stm

http://www.devcon3.de/alexander-graham-bell.htm

http://inventors.about.com/od/bstartinventors/a/Alexander_Bell.htm

http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bltelephone2.htm