On 14th February 1876, both Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray applied for patents for their telephones.
Though the inventors applied for the patent on the same day, it was awarded to Alexander Graham Bell.
On a related note, Antonio Meucci, an Italian inventor, had submitted a patent caveat for the telephone. His contributions were largely ignored, and only in 2002, the US Congress recognised him as the inventor of the telephone.
