early 12c., one of the ecclesiastical princes who constitute the sacred college (short for cardinalis ecclesiae Romanae or episcopus cardinalis), from Latin cardinalis principal, chief, essential (see cardinal (adj.)). Ecclesiastical use began for the presbyters of the chief (cardinal) churches of Rome.
In 1889, the rotary telephone dial was invented by Almon B. Strowger , a Kansas City undertaker. The first dial exchange was installed at La Porte, Indiana, in 1892. In 1943, Philadelphia was the last major area to give up dual service.
Handsets that could be used in a vehicle had been developed prior to Martin Cooperâs phone, but his was the first usable truly portable mobile telephone. Cooper made mobile phone history in April 1973 when he made the first ever call on a handheld mobile phone. 1  Japan became the first country to have a city-wide commercial cellular mobile phone network in 1979.  The Nordic Mobile Telephone (NMT) system launched in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland in 1981.