History of Internet - to understand internet, we need to know its history! Compulsory!

ARPANET Map

The Internet basically started in 1969 with ARPANET. ARPANET or Advanced Research Projects Agency Network was the first network that started in 1969. This network used packet switching technology and the technology was new at the present time. Two computers at Stanford and UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) were the first computers to have connected using the ARPANET.  The message sent was "Login" but both colleges crashed on the letter "g" (Six Revisions). 

TCP/IP

Then, in 1970, ARPANET established a network between Harvard, MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and BBN (Bolt, Beranek and Newman Technologies). In 1971, Ray Tomlinson came up with the "@" symbol to separate the user name from the computer name (which later became known as the domain name).

"@"

In the same year, the eBook was born. The person responsible for it was Michael Hart, who felt that the internet was still not the source of storage and retrieval of information (which the library was!). So, he founded the "Project Gutenberg". 


In 1974, TCP/IP (transmission control protocol/internet protocol) was created to link ARPA-like networks into an "inter-network" which will not have central control. 

DNS

After 1974, in 1977, the first PC (personal computer) modem was build. The modem was developed by Dennis Hayes and Dale Heatherington, and was initially sold to computer hobbyists. Then, in 1984, the Domain Name System (DNS) was created with the first Domain Name Servers. The creation of DNS help made internet addresses more "human/user friendly" because people do not have to memorize IP addresses anymore. The DNS server will help convert the DNS into IP addresses for the computer. 

PC Modem

In 1993, the browser, Mosaic was created. Although Mosaic was not the 1st web browser, it was a browser for "non-techies". In the next year, 1994, Netscape Navigator browser was released, which was Mosaic's competitor. 

Mosaic

In 1996, the first webmail service was launched (at least we know which mail came first :>). Hotmail was the 1st webmail service launched. The word "HoTMaiL"  came from the word "HTML" (look at the block letters!). And, of course, Google came about in 1998 changing ways how people can look up info on the internet (searching info was a lot easier after Google came). 

Netscape Navigator

Well, who can live without wikipedia (not even me though I must avoid it at times!). Wikipedia was launched in 2001. In 2003, Myspace was launched and became most popular social networking site (though I find Myspace better than Facebook). 

Google

In 2004, Facebook was launced though it was called "Thefacebook" and was only open to Harvard students. The old url still works : http://www.thefacebook.com. It will lead you back to facebook of course. 

thefacebook

Lastly, in 2008, "Internet election" took place. Hilary Clinton basically used YouTube to broadcast her campaign videos. Ron Paul fundraised up to USD (United States of America Dollar) 4.3 million in one day and USD 4.4 million in one day too (weeks later). 

Ron Paul