Part 2/11:
The saga begins in February 1876 with the ingenious yet contentious patent filed by Alexander Graham Bell for the telephone. Almost immediately, a dispute arose with Elisha Gray, a contemporary inventor, casting a shadow of controversy over Bell's initial success. While historians debate the details of their competition, the end result was clear: Bell secured the fundamental patents for the telephone, laying the groundwork for the Bell Telephone Company, established in 1877.