Origins & Early Life

Martin Cooper (born December 26, 1928) is an American engineer. He is a pioneer in the wireless communications industry, especially in radio spectrum management, with 11 patents in the field. On April 3, 1973, Cooper placed the first public call from a handheld portable cell phone while working at Motorola, from a Manhattan sidewalk to his counterpart at competitor Bell Labs. Cooper reprised the first handheld cellular mobile phone (distinct from the car phone) in 1973 and led the team that redeveloped it and brought it to market in 1983.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He is considered the "father of the (handheld) cell phone", and received the 2015 IEEE Masaru Ibuka Consumer Electronics Award for this work. Cooper is co-founder of numerous communications companies with his wife and business partner Arlene Harris; He is co-founder and current Chairman of Dyna LLC, in Del Mar, California. Cooper also sits on committees supporting the U.S. Federal Communications Commission and the United States Department of Commerce. In 2010, Cooper was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering for leadership in the creation and deployment of the cellular portable hand-held telephone.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Cooper was born...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Adam West — Contemporary (Born in 1928) (1928): American actor best known for portraying Batman in the 1960s and extensive voice work.
• Adrian Frutiger — Contemporary (Born in 1928) (1928): Pioneering Swiss typeface designer, master of sans-serif aesthetics.
• Agnès Varda — Contemporary (Born in 1928) (1928): Pioneering French filmmaker, artist, and documentarian celebrated for her unique vision.
• Alejo Carpentier — Shared historical date (12-26 · Born) (1904): Influential Cuban novelist, essayist, and musicologist of the Latin American Boom.
• Arthur Percival — Shared historical date (12-26 · Born) (1887): British Army officer, known for commanding forces during the Malayan Campaign and the fall of Singapore.
• Alan J. Pakula — Historical peer (Born in 1928) (1928): American film director, writer, and producer known for political thrillers.
• Alexander Bogdanov — Historical peer (Died in 1928) (1928): Polymath philosopher, pioneer of blood transfusion, and key Bolshevik revolutionary.
• Abebe Bikila — Historical peer (Died in 1973) (1973): Ethiopian Olympic marathon champion, known for his barefoot victories in Rome and Tokyo.
• Adrien Brody — Historical peer (Born in 1973) (1973): Acclaimed American actor known for intense, emotionally charged character portrayals.
• Alfred Tarski — Historical peer (Died in 1983) (1983): Pioneering logician known for model theory and the formal concept of truth.
• 1928 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1928
• December 26 (12-26) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on December 26