What are some famous phone numbers in history or fiction?
Posted: Mon May 19, 2025 3:48 am
While a specific "most famous" phone number is subjective and can vary based on context, here are some noteworthy examples from history and fiction:
In History:
"Mr. Watson, come here—I want to see you." (No Number Dialed): While not a phone number, these were the first words ever spoken over a telephone by Alexander Graham Bell to his assistant Thomas A. Watson on March 10, 1876. In the very early days, you didn't dial a number; you simply spoke to the person on the other end if connected.
Early Alphanumeric Numbers (e.g., PEnnsylvania 6-5000): In the early 20th century, phone numbers often used alphanumeric exchanges. "PEnnsylvania 6-5000" was the actual phone number of the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York City and was immortalized in the famous Glenn Miller Orchestra song of the same name (released in 1940). The number (212-736-5000 today) still reportedly receives calls referencing the song.
Emergency Numbers (911, 999, 112): These short, easily memorable numbers have become universally recognized as the numbers to dial in times of emergency in many parts of the world. Their widespread adoption and life-saving function make them historically significant.
1-800 Numbers: The introduction of toll-free 1-800 numbers in North America revolutionized customer service and marketing, allowing businesses to be easily reached without cost to the caller. These prefixes (and subsequent 888, 877, 866, etc.) are ingrained in commercial history.
In Fiction:
555 Numbers: In North American film and television, phone argentina mobile phone number list numbers starting with the prefix "555" are almost universally used to avoid displaying real, working numbers. This convention, encouraged by telephone companies since the 1960s, has made "555" instantly recognizable as a fictional prefix. Famous examples include Jim Rockford's number in The Rockford Files (555-2368) and the Ghostbusters' number in Ghostbusters (555-2368).
867-5309/Jenny: This number gained fame from Tommy Tutone's 1981 hit song. The catchy chorus led many people to call numbers with this suffix in their local area code, much to the surprise (and sometimes annoyance) of the individuals who actually had those numbers.
776-2323 (Bruce Almighty): In the movie Bruce Almighty, this number was displayed as the pager number to contact God. Without a specific area code, people across North America began calling numbers with this exchange, causing real-life individuals with that number considerable disruption. For the DVD release, the number was changed to the fictional 555-0123.
916-CALL-TURK (Scrubs): In an episode of the TV show Scrubs, the character Turk gets a new phone number he's proud of because it spells out "916-CALL-TURK." The showrunners actually set up a voicemail with the actor Donald Faison for a time, allowing fans who called the number to hear a message from his character.
Various Easter Egg Numbers: Some shows and movies have used real, but perhaps carefully chosen, phone numbers as Easter eggs for fans. Calling these numbers might lead to a recorded message related to the show or a character.
These examples illustrate how phone numbers, both real and fictional, have become embedded in our cultural consciousness, often linked to significant historical events, popular music, or memorable moments in storytelling. The use of "555" in fiction, in particular, highlights the practical considerations of avoiding unintended real-world consequences when depicting phone numbers on screen.
In History:
"Mr. Watson, come here—I want to see you." (No Number Dialed): While not a phone number, these were the first words ever spoken over a telephone by Alexander Graham Bell to his assistant Thomas A. Watson on March 10, 1876. In the very early days, you didn't dial a number; you simply spoke to the person on the other end if connected.
Early Alphanumeric Numbers (e.g., PEnnsylvania 6-5000): In the early 20th century, phone numbers often used alphanumeric exchanges. "PEnnsylvania 6-5000" was the actual phone number of the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York City and was immortalized in the famous Glenn Miller Orchestra song of the same name (released in 1940). The number (212-736-5000 today) still reportedly receives calls referencing the song.
Emergency Numbers (911, 999, 112): These short, easily memorable numbers have become universally recognized as the numbers to dial in times of emergency in many parts of the world. Their widespread adoption and life-saving function make them historically significant.
1-800 Numbers: The introduction of toll-free 1-800 numbers in North America revolutionized customer service and marketing, allowing businesses to be easily reached without cost to the caller. These prefixes (and subsequent 888, 877, 866, etc.) are ingrained in commercial history.
In Fiction:
555 Numbers: In North American film and television, phone argentina mobile phone number list numbers starting with the prefix "555" are almost universally used to avoid displaying real, working numbers. This convention, encouraged by telephone companies since the 1960s, has made "555" instantly recognizable as a fictional prefix. Famous examples include Jim Rockford's number in The Rockford Files (555-2368) and the Ghostbusters' number in Ghostbusters (555-2368).
867-5309/Jenny: This number gained fame from Tommy Tutone's 1981 hit song. The catchy chorus led many people to call numbers with this suffix in their local area code, much to the surprise (and sometimes annoyance) of the individuals who actually had those numbers.
776-2323 (Bruce Almighty): In the movie Bruce Almighty, this number was displayed as the pager number to contact God. Without a specific area code, people across North America began calling numbers with this exchange, causing real-life individuals with that number considerable disruption. For the DVD release, the number was changed to the fictional 555-0123.
916-CALL-TURK (Scrubs): In an episode of the TV show Scrubs, the character Turk gets a new phone number he's proud of because it spells out "916-CALL-TURK." The showrunners actually set up a voicemail with the actor Donald Faison for a time, allowing fans who called the number to hear a message from his character.
Various Easter Egg Numbers: Some shows and movies have used real, but perhaps carefully chosen, phone numbers as Easter eggs for fans. Calling these numbers might lead to a recorded message related to the show or a character.
These examples illustrate how phone numbers, both real and fictional, have become embedded in our cultural consciousness, often linked to significant historical events, popular music, or memorable moments in storytelling. The use of "555" in fiction, in particular, highlights the practical considerations of avoiding unintended real-world consequences when depicting phone numbers on screen.