History of the internet

By Omeed Eshraghi

  • First connection

    Two computers at MIT Lincoln Lab communicate with one another using packet-switching technology.

  • The IMP

    Beranek and Newman, Inc. (BBN) unveils the final version of the Interface Message Processor (IMP) specifications. BBN wins ARPANET contract.

  • Network Email

    BBN’s Ray Tomlinson introduces network email. The Internetworking Working Group (INWG) forms to address need for establishing standard protocols.

  • The Term Internet, Begins

    Global networking becomes a reality as the University College of London (England) and Royal Radar Establishment (Norway) connect to ARPANET. The term Internet is born.

  • the first Internet Service Provider

    The first Internet Service Provider (ISP) is born with the introduction of a commercial version of ARPANET, known as Telenet.

  • The Queen

    Queen Elizabeth II hits the “send button” on her first email.

  • The National Science Foundation

    The National Science Foundation (NSF) provided a grant to establish the Computer Science Network (CSNET) to provide networking services to university computer scientists

  • Transmission Control Protocol

    Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP), as the protocol suite, commonly known as TCP/IP, emerge as the protocol for ARPANET. This results in the fledgling definition of the Internet as connected TCP/IP internets. TCP/IP remains the standard protocol for the Internet.

  • The National Science Foundation’s

    The National Science Foundation’s NSFNET goes online to connected supercomputer centers at 56,000 bits per second — the speed of a typical dial-up computer modem. Over time the network speeds up and regional research and education networks, supported in part by NSF, are connected to the NSFNET backbone — effectively expanding the Internet throughout the United States. The NSFNET was essentially a network of networks that connected academic users along with the ARPANET.

  • HyperText Markup Language

    Tim Berners-Lee, a scientist at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, develops HyperText Markup Language (HTML). This technology continues to have a large impact on how we navigate and view the Internet today.

  • WWW

    CERN introduces the World Wide Web to the public

  • GOOGLE

    The Google search engine is born, changing the way users engage with the Internet.

  • Facebook

    Facebook goes online and the era of social networking begins. Mozilla unveils the Mozilla Firefox browser.

  • Youtube

    YouTube.com launches.

  • Middle East Revolt

    Twitter and Facebook play a large role in the Middle East revolts.