1. History of the internet

From the development of the ARPANET in the late 1960s to the first email, the launch of AOL, and the beginning of the World Wide Web, the internet has had many major changes that were pivotal to the creation of the internet we see today.

What is the internet?

The internet is a global network of interconnected devices, allowing communication and information sharing through physical cables, wireless connections, and satellites operated by individuals and institutions worldwide.

The new generations have never known of life without the net. But the internet is a relatively new invention in the grand scheme of things.

1950s-1980s

ARPANET - The birth of the internet (1969)

In 1969, during the Cold War, the Pentagon’s Advanced Research Project Agency (ARPA) developed ARPANET, a network aimed at sending messages and data securely during the Cold War. Initially connecting universities in California and Utah, it expanded until the 1980s, laying the groundwork for the modern internet.

The first email (1971)

In 1971, Ray Tomlinson created the first email by using the "@" symbol to separate the user’s name from the destination computer. Tomlinson created this sequence: “username@computername”. This is now the standard email address. Originally for universities and research, email gained widespread use in the 1990s due to its practicality in various scenarios.

ARPANET switches to TCP/IP (1983-1985)

ARPANET computers had limited communication since they used NCP (Network Control Protocol) to communicate, and NCP couldn’t connect different types of computer networks. Programmers developed TCP/IP (Transmission Control/Internet Protocol) to fix this limitation. TCP/IP could adapt and connect to different computer networks, creating ease of communication.

DNS (1985)

Introduced in 1985, the Domain Name System (DNS) translates human-readable domain names (e.g., google.com) into IP addresses, making websites easier to access and remember compared to numerical IP addresses like 192.0.2.1.

The launch of AOL (1985)

America Online (a.k.a. AOL) was launched in 1985 Millions began using the internet from that point on. AOL made the internet more accessible in the 1990s, by allowing users “dial-up internet access” by connecting to the internet using their home phone lines.

IRC for direct messaging (1988)

IRC (Internet Relay Chat) was created by Finnish computer scientist, Jarkko Oikarinen to fulfill the internet’s need for live messaging. IRC users could communicate in groups in discussion forums and use private messaging. IRC paved the way for channels, and virtual chat rooms.

The beginning of the World Wide Web (1989)

The web is a system of interrelated hypertext documents, media and resources on the internet. Tim Berners-Lee, working at CERN, proposed the creation of the World Wide Web to link documents across different computers. Key components included the Uniform Resource Identifier (URI), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). His vision of a decentralized system allowed for scalable, accessible, and interconnected information, transforming how we access and share data online.

1990s-2009

The first The first online search engines, webpages, and photos (1990-1992)

In 1990, Alan Emtage from Barbados developed Archie, the first search engine, paving the way for later engines like Gopher, Veronika, Web Crawler, Alta Vista, and Google. In 1991, Tim Berners-Lee created the first webpage and the first webcam, the "Coffee pot cam," was developed at Cambridge University. The first photo uploaded to the internet, a GIF of the "Les Horribles Cernettes" band, was also shared by Berners-Lee in 1992, highlighting early innovations in web technology and media sharing.

Government participation (1993)

When the internet became popular, and governments saw its immense effect on society, they joined. In 1993, US President Bill Clinton introduced the National Information Infrastructure (NII), to develop rules and regulations to support internet growth, ensure universal access, and address privacy, security, and intellectual property rights. The United Nations joined, the Internet Society was founded, and the EU, OECD, and other government organizations adopted web-based policies.

First secure ecommerce transaction(1994)

In 1994, the first secure e-commerce transaction occurred when a person purchased a CD via Netscape's encrypted platform.

First social media platform, Wi-Fi, and Google (1996-1998)

In 1996, Six Degrees became the first social media platform, offering customizable profiles, friends lists, and messaging. In 1997, Wi-Fi was invented, allowing wireless internet connection via the IEEE 802.11 standard, developed by Vic Hayes and others. Wi-Fi technology was popularized by the Wi-Fi Alliance. In 1998, Larry Page and Sergey Brin launched Google, using the PageRank algorithm to improve search engine relevance. Google quickly expanded with products like Gmail, Google Maps, and Google Docs, becoming the world’s most used search engine and making its creators billionaires.

2000-2009

The burst of the dot-com bubble (2000)

The burst of the dot-com bubble in 2000 marked the collapse of speculative investments in internet-based companies. During the late 1990s, excessive funding led to inflated valuations, but by 2000, many companies failed to turn a profit, resulting in stock crashes, layoffs, and closures. This event reshaped the tech landscape and set the stage for future digital advancements.

The launch of Wikipedia (2001)

In 2001, Wikipedia was launched by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger. The platform allowed users to collaboratively create and edit encyclopedia articles, challenging traditional models of knowledge. It quickly gained traction, becoming a key resource on the internet.

MySpace explodes (2003)

In 2003, MySpace was founded by Tom Anderson and Chris DeWolfe. Initially a platform for musicians, it evolved into a social network where users could create personalized profiles, connect, and share content. MySpace rapidly became the leading social media site in the mid-2000s, particularly popular among teenagers, but eventually lost ground to Facebook and other emerging platforms.

iPhones and the mobile web (2007)

Released in 2007, the iPhone revolutionized mobile phones with its touchscreen, Safari browser, and App Store. It transformed mobile browsing, prompted mobile optimization, and created a platform for third-party apps, reshaping how users interacted with the internet and smartphones.

The introduction of Bitcoin (2009)

In 2008, Bitcoin, the first decentralized cryptocurrency, was introduced by Satoshi Nakamoto. It launched in January 2009 with the mining of the "Genesis block." Bitcoin operates outside centralized control, using blockchain to record transactions, prevent double-spending, and ensure privacy. Its success revolutionized finance and technology, leading to the creation of other cryptocurrencies and driving broader adoption of blockchain technology in various industries.

All of these changes were pivotal in molding how we view our online experience, but where do we go from here? Read blog 2 "The internet today" to find out!