Alexander Graham Bell (March 3, 1847 – August 2, 1922)^[4] was an eminent Scottish-born scientist,    inventor,  engineer and innovator who is credited with inventing the first practical telephone.^{[N 3]}

  Bell's father, grandfather, and brother had all been associated with work on elocution and speech, and both his      mother and wife were deaf, profoundly influencing Bell's life's work.^[7] His research on hearing and speech further led    him to experiment with hearing devices which eventually culminated in Bell being awarded the first U.S. patent for the    telephone in 1876.^{[N 4]} Bell considered his most famous invention an intrusion on his real work as a scientist and  refused to have a telephone in his study.^{[9][N 5]}

 Many other inventions marked Bell's later life, including groundbreaking work in optical  telecommunications, hydrofoils andaeronautics. In 1888, Bell became one of the founding members of the National  Geographic Society.^[11]