-
Leonard Kleinrock publishes the first paper on packet-switching theory, a foundational technology for the internet.
Timetoast -
Lawrence Roberts and Thomas Merrill link a computer in Massachusetts with one in California via telephone, demonstrating WAN communication.
-
The U.S. Department of Defense develops ARPANET, connecting four computers at research universities in the first operational network.
-
Ray Tomlinson sends the first networked email, a key moment in online communication.
-
ARPANET expands internationally, connecting the U.S. to Norway and the U.K.
Timetoast -
Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn propose Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP), the core communication protocols still used today.
-
The first unsolicited commercial email (spam) is sent to hundreds of ARPANET users.
-
ARPANET adopts TCP/IP as its standard protocol, leading to the modern internet.
-
The DNS is created, allowing the use of easy-to-remember domain names instead of numerical IP addresses.
-
Symbolics.com becomes the first registered domain name, marking the beginning of the domain registration process.
-
Tim Berners-Lee proposes the idea of the World Wide Web while working at CERN, envisioning a global information-sharing system.
-
Tim Berners-Lee launches the first website, serving as an information hub about the World Wide Web project.
Timetoast -
he World Wide Web is made publicly accessible, expanding internet use beyond academic and government institutions.
-
Mosaic, the first web browser with a graphical interface, is released, making the web more user-friendly and accessible.
-
Yahoo! is created as one of the first web directories and search engines, helping users navigate the growing internet.
-
Amazon and eBay are launched, pioneering e-commerce and online shopping.
-
Google is founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, quickly becoming the most popular search engine and a dominant force on the web.
-
Wikipedia launches as an open-source, community-driven online encyclopedia, revolutionizing information sharing.
-
MySpace becomes the first major social networking site, allowing users to create personal profiles and interact with others.
-
Mark Zuckerberg introduces Facebook, transforming social media and online interaction.
Timetoast -
Apple’s iPhone is released, popularizing smartphones and mobile internet access.
Timetoast -
Instagram launches, defining a new era of photo and video sharing through social media.
-
Snapchat popularizes the concept of disappearing messages and stories, contributing to a new trend in social media communication.
-
As the internet grows, IPv6 addresses are adopted to replace the exhausted IPv4 addresses, allowing for more devices to connect to the internet.