The world's first text message just turned 25! The first SMS was sent on Dec. 3, 1992, by engineer Neil Papworth. Papworth sent the message to another executive, Richard Jarvis. Papworth typed out the message "Merry Christmas" on his computer and sent it to Jarvis' phone. Matti Makkonen first suggested the idea of the "text" back in 1984 during a telecommunications conference.