Text Messaging Celebrates Its 20th Birthday
By Steve Beck
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Twenty years ago today, an engineer performed a task that would forever change the way we communicate.
On December 3rd, 1992, engineer Neil Papworth is credited with sending the first-ever cell phone text message from his company in England.
The message? Papworth texted a friend "Merry Christmas." The well wishes were 22 days early, but what Papworth did revolutionized the form of communication.
It is estimated that a combined 7.5 trillion texts, picture and video messages were sent worldwide in 2011.