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ARPA
ARPA (Advanced Research Projects Agency) goes online in December, connecting four major U.S. universities. Designed for research, education, and government organizations, it provides a communications network linking the country in the event that a military attack destroys conventional communications systems. -
Electronic mail
Electronic mail is introduced by Ray Tomlinson, a Cambridge, Mass., computer scientist. He uses the @ to distinguish between the sender's name and network name in the email address. -
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) is designed and in 1983 it becomes the standard for communicating between computers over the Internet. One of these protocols, FTP (File Transfer Protocol), allows users to log onto a remote computer, list the files on that computer, and download files from that computer. -
Presidential candidate Jimmy Carter's and Queen Elizabeth's first emails
Presidential candidate Jimmy Carter and running mate Walter Mondale use email to plan campaign events.Queen Elizabeth sends her first email. She's the first state leader to do so. -
INTERNET
The word “Internet” is used for the first time. -
Domain Name System
Domain Name System (DNS) is established, with network addresses identified by extensions such as .com, .org, and .edu.Writer William Gibson coins the term “cyberspace.” -
Quantum Computer Services
Quantum Computer Services, which later changes its name to America Online, debuts. It offers email, electronic bulletin boards, news, and other information. -
Internet Worm
A virus called the Internet Worm temporarily shuts down about 10% of the world's Internet servers. -
Index the Internet
The first effort to index the Internet is created by Peter Deutsch at McGill University in Montreal, who devises Archie, an archive of FTP sites. -
www.whitehouse.gov
The White House launches its website, www.whitehouse.gov.Initial commerce sites are established and mass marketing campaigns are launched via email, introducing the term “spamming” to the Internet vocabulary.Marc Andreessen and Jim Clark start Netscape Communications. They introduce the Navigator browser.