"Joel, this is Marty. I'm calling you from a cell phone, a real handheld portable cell phone." — Martin Cooper, 1973

Joel was Joel Engel, Jew, head of Bell Laboratories. Marty was Martin Cooper, Jew, senior engineer at Motorola. The two companies — and the two men — were in a race to invent the cell phone. Cooper won. Above is his "congratulatory" message, the first cell call ever placed.

Cooper's inspiration for the cell phone was Dick Tracy's wrist watch. Needless to say, the 1973 model was a little bulkier than that. Of course, in the 40 years since, the device has shrunk to the size of comic book legends, and has grown more powerful than Dick Tracy could ever dream of.

Not only that, but the cell phone pretty much makes the modern world go round. Who among us is not dependent on Cooper's invention?

Thanks, Marty.

Thanks.