Important Events in the History of the World Wide Web

Click here for a complete side-by-side comparison of Internet Browser Software

You may also be interested in these review sites...

By Cristopher Fowers

The Internet, or World Wide Web, is a major part of the world and has literally changed history. The Internet has a history of its own. You may be surprised how long the Web has been around, and where it began. The history of the Internet began in the late 1950s:

1957

The USSR launched the first artificial satellite named Sputnik into space. As a counter act, the US government creates the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA). They do so in an attempt to become the world leader in science and technology, in relation with the military.

1965

Nine years after its formation, the ARPA hosts a study on “cooperative network of time–sharing computers.” Shortly thereafter, two computers, one from the MIT Lincoln Lab and one from the System Development Corporation (SDC), are successfully connected with a dedicated 1200bps phone line. A third computer, at ARPA, is added to form “The Experimental Network.”

1971

A network is developed using 15 nodes at University of California Los Angeles, Stanford Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, University of Utah, Bolt Beranek and Newman, Inc., MIT Lincoln Lab, RAND, SDC, Harvard, Lincoln Lab, Stanford, Upper Iowa University, Case Western Reserve University, Central Michigan University and NASA/Ames.

1975

John Vittal develops MSG. This is the first all–inclusive email program that offers reply, forward and filing capabilities.

1984

The domain name system is developed and the “.com” era is born. Other domains are also developed including .edu and .gov.

1990

The Internet is introduced to the public. World.std.com becomes the first company to provide Internet access through dial–up.

1991

The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) releases World–Wide Web (WWW).

1994

Shopping malls, banks, radio stations and advertising become commonplace online.

1995

Companies like CompuServe, America Online and Prodigy begin to provide online connections through traditional dial–up services. Households across the world go online.

1999

Companies begin providing free computers with a signed contract for Internet service.

2000

The size of the World Wide Web is estimated to exceed 1 billion pages and Napster, the first large peer 2 peer file sharing website, is in full swing.

2004

Network Solutions offers the one-hundred year domain name registration.

The Internet continues to change the media, the economy, entertainment, technology and the way we view the world. What’s in the future of the World Wide Web? Wireless Internet access may be broadcasted free like radio and television across the world. Many large cities already have free wireless Internet.

Or, perhaps the progression of the Internet will end up back at the military. Where battles and wars will be fought virtually saving thousands of lives. Only time will tell.

References

‘Hobbes’ Zakon, R (2005,Aug,28). Hobbes’ Internet Timeline v8.1. Retrieved August 30, 2006, from Hobbes’ Internet Timeline v8.1 Web site: http://www.zakon.org/robert/internet/timeline/

Hobbes’ Internet Timeline Copyright (c)1993–2005 by Robert H Zakon. Permission is granted for use of this document in whole or in part for non–commercial purposes as long as this Copyright notice and a link to this document, at the archive listed at the end, is included. A copy of the material the Timeline appears in is requested. For commercial uses, please contact the author first. Links to this document are welcome after e–mailing the author with the document URL where the link will appear. As the Timeline is frequently updated, copies to other locations on the Internet are not permitted.