Not for concert tickets. Not for sporting events. And certainly not for a new phone.

But when the 36-year-old Atlanta native heard about the world's most advanced mobile phone, he wanted to be a part of history. Like many others, he instinctively knew that the iPhone was going to help change his life.

First, Brian switched his carrier to AT&T because the company was the only U.S. provider of the iPhone. He asked his boss for four days off at the end of June. Then, just a few days before the launch, he bought a folding chair, packed a cooler of food, grabbed a stack of magazines and headed for an AT&T store in midtown Atlanta. When the doors swung open at 6 p.m. June 29, Brian — who endured rain, 48 hours with little sleep and a news media onslaught — was among the first Americans to get his revolutionary new mobile phone.

In the first 30 hours of sales, customers like Brian activated 146,000 iPhones. By the end of 2007, approximately 2 million U.S. consumers were enjoying a groundbreaking mobile experience on a brilliant screen with a simple flick of their finger.

"Surfing the net on a phone with a full browser has been unlike any other portable Web experience," Brian said. "The calendar contains my life. I love calling up maps and directions when I'm lost while driving, and I'm constantly taking photos. It's been so great, I decided to spread the iPhone love by buying one for my dad — and I'm saving up to buy one for my mom!"

June 29, 2007. It didn't just change Brian Norwood's day-to-day life. It helped AT&T change the game — and the face of an industry.