Happy Monday and Happy International Internet Day! While it might seem to you that there is now a “day” for everything, International Internet Day reminds us to celebrate one of the most monumental inventions of our time.
Though the invention of the Internet could not have been possible without hundreds of other inventions before it (electricity for example), it is hard to name another invention that has had such a significant impact on mankind.
Can you even imagine your life without the Internet? Without instant access to TV shows, music streams, YouTube tutorials, online shopping, and instant messaging? It is unlikely; our society is now hyper-connected with an estimated 3.95 billion Internet users as of June 2018.
This unofficial holiday commemorates the day that the very first electronic message was successfully sent over a network. The Internet was first achieved on October 29, 1969, just months after Neil Armstrong took the first steps on the moon.
Leonard Kleinrock, Charley Kline, and Bill Duvall were the key players in this early success. They were working on the ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network) which connected four independent terminals installed at UCLA, Stanford, the University of California-Santa Barbara, and the University of Utah. ARPANET was funded by the US Defense Department.
Charley Kline attempted to send login information from his terminal at UCLA to Bill Duvall at Stanford. Duvall received the letters “L” and “O” before the connection between the two terminals crashed.
From these problematic beginnings, the Internet was born. Have you ever seen something evolve so rapidly and be embraced on such a massive, global scale? Since the first connection, we have watched the reign of the Internet spread into new avenues such as instant messaging, social media, mobile, and so much more!
Us Geeks are constantly in awe of everything the Internet has provided us, and we excitedly wonder about the great potential that is just around the corner.
Check out this TED talk to learn more about the history of the internet, and Tweet us @GeekPowerWeb to let us know how the internet has made your life easier
