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.
Things have certainly changed a bit since then... By Adrian Lee. Martin Cooper, the father of the cell phone, with the first cell phone he used 30 years ago. The first mobile telephone call was made on April 3, 1973 by Martin Cooper, a former Motorola inventor, who is known as the father of the cellphone.y 1990 there were a million users. The first mobile phone call made in the UK was in 1985 when comedian Ernie Wise called from London to Vodafone's offices in Newbury, Berkshire. Mobile phones went on sale here two years later costing Â£1,200 each and became the mustâhave gadget of the yuppie.