Text Messaging Turns 20

HBD, text messaging! Today the text message turns 20, according to reports.

The first text message was sent on Dec. 3, 1992, by software engineer Neil Papworth, to Vodafone director Richard Jarvis, who received the message on his husky Orbitel 901 cell phone, according to an article on CNN.com. It read, "Merry Christmas."

Now, 20 years later, text messaging has evolved into a major form of communication—in 160 characters or less.

According to the CNN article, six billion SMS (short message service) messages are sent every day in the United States, and more than 2.2 trillion are sent a year. 

Text messaging has become so popular, Pennsylvania and other states have banned it while driving to keep the roads safe. So far, 800 citations have been given in Pennsylvania.

Learn more about text messaging with some trivia by reading the full CNN article here.

How many texts do you send a day? Tell us in the comments.