Happy Birthday Cell Phone. Did you realize how long ago...or recently, cell phones came about?

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Bignuf

Today is the 40th anniversary of the first call on a "portable" (two pound, 20 minute battery life, brick size) cell phone.

For some of you, 40 years ago will sound like ancient history, while for others, it may be just "yesterday".

So, did you realize that is when the very first cell call was made. 1973. Years after the first moon landing, in fact!

Answers (private voting - your screen name will NOT appear in the results):

Yes, I did know that is when the first cell call was made and the phones "hit the market".

I really didn't know.

Other?

Total votes: 17 (17 voters)

Poll is closed

04/03/2013

spiced

I knew they went back pretty far; I would have thought it was actually farther back.

"Car phones", which were the early cell phones, were a staple of 70s era TV and movies. Showing a character using their car phone was an easy way to show that they were truly rich, and usually it was in a super nice car like a Rolls — with a chauffeur, naturally!

I think the first time I ever saw a car phone in person was in the late 80s...

04/03/2013

GirlOnGirl

I didn't know it was 40 years but I knew they were around a long time before they became common.

04/04/2013

Carrie Ann

I did not know that.

I do remember getting my first cell in 1998 -- and paying $9.99 a month for 60 WHOLE MINUTES of talk time

04/04/2013

1001 Pleasures

I remember them from the 80s (big chunky things), but didn't know they had been around 40 years. I remember when they first became common in the 90s...everyone called them "car phones," because the use was mostly limited to the car (and there'd be a little curly antennae on the rear window of anyone who owned one).

04/04/2013

Allstars316

I did know it was its bday. I saw it on the news yesterday. I was shocked at the price one was back then. You would think you were buying a gold phone.

04/04/2013