The emergency telephone number 911 was invented and first implemented in the United States in 1968. The first 911 call was made on February 16, 1968, in Haleyville, Alabama, by Alabama Speaker of the House Rankin Fite to U.S. Representative Tom Bevill, marking the official start of the 911 emergency system.

The idea for a single emergency number was discussed in 1967 when the FCC and AT&T met to establish a nationwide emergency number. AT&T announced 911 as the nationwide emergency number in 1968 because it was easy to remember and was not in use as an area or office code.

Before 911 in the U.S., the United Kingdom had already used a national emergency number, 999, since 1937. The 911 system quickly expanded across the U.S. and Canada, with Canada adopting 911 service in 1972.

The 911 system has continued to evolve, including the introduction of enhanced features such as selective call routing and automatic location identification, aiming to improve emergency response over time.