March 10, 1876 - Alexander Graham Bell transmits first telephone message, "Mr. Watson, come here, I want you," to assistant, Thomas A. Watson, who was linked by wire and receiver to the sending device in Bell's office.

Summer 1876 - Bell's telephone was displayed at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia.

1877 - Formation of the Bell Telephone Company, later renamed American Bell Telephone Company (the firm and its subsidiaries are known as the Bell System).

1879 - Newark District Telegraph Company, a Bell subsidiary, opens first New Jersey exchange of Bell Telephone Company in Newark.

March 3, 1885 - AT&T incorporates in New York as a wholly owned subsidiary of the American Bell Telephone Company. The original purpose was to manage and expand the burgeoning toll (long-distance) business of American Bell and its licensees.

December 30, 1899 - After corporate reorganization, AT&T assumes business and property of American Bell, becoming the parent company of Bell System.

August 1904 - Predecessor to NJB, the Delaware and Atlantic Telegraph and Telephone Company becomes an AT&T subsidiary, providing service in southern New Jersey. Another AT&T subsidiary, New York Telephone Company, serves the north.

1915 - First modern dial exchange in Newark allows customers to dial local calls.

1927 - NJB customers make an average of 2,262,000 calls per day; by end of year, NJB has 580,956 telephones in service.

October 1, 1927 - Delaware and Atlantic Telegraph and Telephone Company changes name to NJB and purchase New Jersey properties of New York Telephone Company.

November 1, 1927 - New firm officially becomes New Jersey Bell Telephone Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of AT&T. Temporary headquarters are at 1060 Broad Street, Newark, Chester I. Barnard serves as president and there are 3,000 employees.

May 31, 1928 - NJB's 600,000th telephone installed in Gov. A. Harry Moore's State House Office.

January 4, 1929 -The company moves into new headquarters at 540 Broad Street, Newark.

March 2, 1929 - Atlantic City becomes first city in New Jersey to have all dial phones—NJB converts nearly 18,000 manual phones to rotary dial phones.

June 8, 1929 - With the purchase of Hammonton Telephone and Telegraph Company, 600 telephones are switched to NJB.

October 31, 1929 - Hackettstown Telephone and Telegraph Company becomes part of NJB.

1930 - Six more independent telephone companies are purchased by NJB.

June 7, 1930 -A new style of telephone numbers are introduced, using the first two letters of the central office name and then five digits.