1850 First submarine telegraph cable laid across the English Channel.

1889 Almon Strowger patents automatic switching, he discovers that the local operator is married to his business rival, and has been connecting all of his business to his rival.

1891 Telephone cable opens to France.

1896 Telegraphy without wires is demonstrated by Marconi.

Telephone dial invented.

1908 Ship to shore radio station opens at Bolt Head, Devon.

1912 National Telephone Company exchanges taken over by Post Office.

1920 Private automatic branch exchanges introduced.

1927 London to New York radio telephone service starts.

1936 TIM (speaking clock) introduced in London.

1937 "999" service introduced in London.

1955 First cordless switchboard opens at Thanet exchange.

1956 Opening of the first Transatlantic Telephone Cable.

1958 First Subscriber Trunk Dialing (STD)introduced.

1959 First Pay on Answer coin box intoduced.

1961 Canadian Transatlantic Telephone Cable open.

1962 First telecommunications satellite is launched(Telstar).

1963 International Direct Dialling introduced.

1965 Telecom Tower opens for service.

1966 First Production electronic exchange opens at Ambergate Derbyshire.

1968 Inauguration of worlds first pluse code modulation(PCM) switching centre in London.

1969 Post Office becomes a public corporation.

1970 First computerised telephone directory.

1976 Centenary of the telephone.

1978 First telephone call in Europe using optical fibre transmission.

1980 First experimental optical fibre underwater cable laid.

1981 British Telecom separates from the Post Office.

1984 British Telecommunications plc is formed and 50.2% of its shares made available to the public.

1985 Cellnet , the British Telecom and Securicor joint venture cellular radio service, launched.