The Fax Machine Was Invented Before the Telephone
The first fax machine was invented in 1843 by Alexander Bain, 33 years before Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876.
About this fact
Scottish inventor Alexander Bain patented the first fax machine (called an 'electric printing telegraph') in 1843. His device could transmit images over telegraph wires using a pendulum to scan metal type. Giovanni Caselli improved the design in 1861 with his 'pantelegraph,' which could send handwritten messages and simple drawings between Paris and Lyon. Commercial fax service began in 1865. Meanwhile, Alexander Graham Bell didn't patent the telephone until 1876. This means people could send documents electronically decades before they could have a voice conversation over long distances. The technology that we consider 'modern' actually predates one of the most basic communication tools.