When Was The Internet Invented?

It’s not correct to say that the Internet was “invented,” whether we give credit to one person or a group of people. There are many distinct parts to this worldwide network and different people contributed to various parts. We can come close to giving credit for inventing the Internet by stating that a loosely organized group of people established the first such network, with each working in an area of expertise.

The incentive for establishing the Internet came from the accomplishments of the Soviet Union’s space program. This takes the first seeds of the Internet back to the 1950s. Because the Soviet Union managed to launch and operate a communications satellite called Sputnik, United States government leaders and scientists felt it was time for the U.S. to do something on the same scale.

The result was not the Internet as we know it today. It was the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency, also known as DARPA. Many people have referred to this as ARPA, leaving the reference to defense out of the equation. One of the reasons for this name change was that the expertise in communications and computers in the U.S. became known as ARPANET. There was no reference to military or defense. During the 1960s the men and women who had expertise in computer and communications technology gradually developed a system that finally allowed long-distance connections. In this early situation, the contact was made between Palo Alto and Los Angeles, California.

This communications method was based on a system known as “packet switching.” Individuals leading the way were Joseph Licklider, Lawrence Roberts and Robert Kahn. The foundation for the current Internet, Internet Protocol (IP) and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) were used successfully in 1983. History records that the Internet we use today also owes some of its success to early work within the National Science Foundation.

In the late 1980s and early part of the 1990s use of the Internet grew rapidly. In those early years, people were able to communicate through message boards, with communication technology that involved cables, wires and some wireless transmission. What caused Internet use to cover the world in the last 15 to 20 years? The answer would probably have to be: money. As the use of this global network began to show promise for commercial use, individuals and companies formed service-provider businesses.

Much of this commercial activity takes place on the World Wide Web, which is one part of the Internet (though a huge part). The majority of users are doing their connecting and communicating on this Web, buying, selling, trading and networking on social sites. The technology developed for full-color Web sites with video, high-resolution photos and intricate design has made the World Wide Web essential to the world’s economy.

The Internet is still a globe-spanning system that connects a majority of the nations on Earth. As technology has improved, communication that was once limited in distance and speed has become almost instantaneous. It all started with a research project half a century ago.

 Print This Page