Timeline of major advances in the internet

By charles650

  • First message sent through ARPANET

    First message sent through ARPANET
    The first workable prototype of the technology that made the internet possible, ARPANET, has its first transmission between two devices. Source

  • First .com domain is registered

    First .com domain is registered
    The computer manufacturer Symbolics registered the world's first .com domain name, and the domain still exists to this day. Source

  • The World Wide Web goes live

    The World Wide Web goes live
    A user-friendly interface for the internet, the World Wide Web first comes online in 1989 thanks to the work of Tim Burners Lee. Source

  • The world's first website comes online

    The world's first website comes online
    The inventor of the World Wide Web, Tim Burners-Lee came back into the online spotlight by creating the world's first webpage. It primarily consisted of instructions on using the World Wide Web. Source

  • AOL starts their iconic marketing campaign

    AOL starts their iconic marketing campaign
    America Online (AOL) boosted their growth by spending $250,000 on a campaign to send discs containing their software to individuals across America without their consent. The campaign was effective, with AOL reaching a point where they registered a user every six seconds. Source

  • Wi-Fi becomes commercially available

    Wi-Fi becomes commercially available
    The IEEE 802.11 standard is created which is the foundation of wireless internet technology. At first, this technology is limited to commercial settings, however it would be approved for home-use in 1999. Source

  • Microsoft acquires Hotmail

    Microsoft acquires Hotmail
    Microsoft makes waves in the internet space by acquiring the email provider Hotmail. This acquisition opened the floodgates for massive free online email offerings, and even adjustments to the Windows operating system. Source

  • Napster gains popularity

    Napster gains popularity
    The peer-to-peer music sharing software Napster is released on the internet and takes the world by storm, completely changing the way people access music online. Source

  • Wikipedia comes online

    Wikipedia comes online
    The online encyclopedia that anyone can edit, Wikipedia, comes online and completely transforms the way people access reference information. Source

  • Netflix moves to streaming

    Netflix moves to streaming
    After years of offering DVDs rentals by mail, Netflix begins allowing users to stream content online, completely transforming the way users consume media. Source