The First Text Message Ever Was Sent 21 Years Ago Today

Advertisement

There's a tweet by Twitter account @History_Pics going around that states that the first text message ever was sent 21 years ago today.

Advertisement

In a happy coincidence (and a preview for millions of future texts), it happened to say "Merry Christmas":

Both Eric Limer at Gizmodo and Joanna Stern at ABC News have previously confirmed the story: on December 3rd, 1992, Canadian test engineer Neil Papworth sent a text from one of Vodafone's massive computers to Richard Jarvis, a Vodafone director.

Complimentary Tech Event
Transform talent with learning that works
Capability development is critical for businesses who want to push the envelope of innovation.Discover how business leaders are strategizing around building talent capabilities and empowering employee transformation.Know More

Here's a picture of the Orbitel 901, the "portable" phone Jarvis used to receive the first-ever text message:

orbitel 901

eBay

Advertisement
Next StoryHere's Facebook's New Way Of Letting You Block Annoying Stuff That Appears In Your Newsfeed