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.
Martin Cooper, pictured at right is considered to be the father of the cell phone. In 1973 Cooper took out a patent for his new invention the âradio telephone system.â When Cooper first walked onto the streets of New York with it, people were stunned. Cooper remains a leader in communications innovation to this day.