<Li> 1864: In an attempt to give his musical automaton a voice, Innocenzo Manzetti invents the' speaking telegraph' . He shows no interest in patenting his device, but it is reported in newspapers . </Li> <Li> 1865: Meucci reads of Manzetti's invention and writes to the editors of two newspapers claiming priority and quoting his first experiment in 1849 . He writes "I do not wish to deny Mr. Manzetti his invention, I only wish to observe that two thoughts could be found to contain the same discovery, and that by uniting the two ideas one can more easily reach the certainty about a thing this important ." If he reads Meucci's offer of collaboration, Manzetti does not respond . </Li> <Li> 1871: Meucci files a patent caveat (a statement of intention to file a patent application) for a Sound Telegraph, but it does not describe an electromagnetic telephone . </Li> <Li> 1872: Elisha Gray founds the Western Electric Manufacturing Company . </Li>

When was the first telephone used in homes