Published the earliest packet-switching / information-flow work (his 1961/1962 PhD proposals and 1961 papers) that provided mathematical foundations for breaking messages into packets.
History of the Internet
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From its humble beginnings as an experimental network to the backbone of modern life, the internet has transformed how we connect, create, and communicate. What started as a bold idea to link computers has become a force that shapes culture, commerce, and community across the globe.
The History of the Internet is a special series that uncovers the stories behind this revolution, featuring exclusive interviews and first-hand accounts from the visionaries who built its foundations. Join us as we celebrate the milestones, explore the challenges, and hear directly from the pioneers who changed the course of technology forever.
Key Figures in the History of the Internet
1961
Leonard Kleinrock
1962 /1963
J.C.R. Licklider
Articulated the “Intergalactic Computer/Network” vision (early 1960s memos — e.g.,1963) that inspired ARPA’s networking goals and the idea of a globally-connected computing commons
1964
Paul Baran
RAND memorandum On Distributed Communications (1964) laid out distributed (packetstyle) network designs intended to be survivable — a key conceptual precursor to later packet networks.
1965 (mid-1960s)
Donald Davies
At the UK’s NPL Davies coined the word “packet” and developed packet-switched network prototypes (mid-1960s papers / Mark I Mark II) that contributed directly to packet-switching practice.
1968
Douglas Engelbart
Demonstrated the oN-Line System (NLS) at the December 9, 1968 “Mother of All Demos” — showing hypertext, shared editing, the mouse and other interactive concepts that shaped future online tools.
1969
Lawrence (Larry) Roberts
As ARPA program manager he designed and led the ARPANET construction (late-1960s), turning packet-switching proposals into the first operational research network (ARPANET, 1969).
1969
Jon Postel
Became central to the RFC series and began his long stewardship of protocol documentation and numbering (RFC series began 1969; Postel edited and authored core RFCs).
1969
Steve Crocker
Instigated the ARPANET “Network Working Group” and created the Request for Comments (RFC) series in 1969 — the primary open documentation mechanism for ARPANET/Internet protocols.
1972-73
Vint Cerf & Bob Kahn
Co-designed the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and later TCP/IP, enabling communication across multiple networks — the birth of internetworking
1973
Robert Metcalfe
Invented Ethernet at Xerox PARC, making local networking fast and scalable for office and campus environments.
1973-1975
Louis Pouzin
Developed CYCLADES in France, a datagram-based packet network that directly influenced TCP/IP’s design.
1973
Danny Cohen
Pioneered early packet voice transmission and endianness concepts, key to interoperability in TCP/IP systems. Founded NetEase, one of China’s earliest Internet portals, later a leader in gaming and online content.
1975
Yngvar G. Lundh
Promoted and implemented early packet networking in Scandinavia, connecting European research networks.
1976
Elizabeth “Jake” Feinler
Managed the ARPANET Network Information Center (NIC) at SRI, maintaining the official host name directory before DNS.
1977
Pål Spilling
Helped establish early ARPANET links in Europe and co-authored the first Internet (TCP/IP) experiments between continents.
1977
Bob Kahn, Vint Cerf, and Jon Postel
Conducted the first three-network TCP/IP test (ARPANET, SATNET, PRNET), proving the architecture’s viability.
1978
Steve Crocker, Jon Postel, Joyce Reynolds
Led early IETF-like protocol coordination and RFC series continuity — the core of today’s open standards process.
1979
Radia Perlman
Developed early routing algorithms that evolved into the Spanning Tree Protocol (finalized 1985) — fundamental to Ethernet networks.
1981–1983
Paul Mockapetris
Invented the Domain Name System (DNS) to replace the central HOSTS.TXT file. Introduced hierarchical, distributed naming via RFC 882/883 (1983).
1981
Danny Cohen
Published “On Holy Wars and a Plea for Peace,” formalizing the concept of byte ordering (“endianness”), key to interoperability in TCP/IP systems.
1982
Daniel Karrenberg
Helped build EUnet, the first pan-European Internet Service Provider (ISP) and in 1989was one of the founders of RIPE (Réseaux IP Européens).
1982–1983
Vint Cerf, Bob Kahn, Jon Postel, Steve Crocker
Oversaw the January 1, 1983 “flag day” switchover from NCP to TCP/IP — the operational birth of the modern Internet.
1983–1984
Radia Perlman
Developed the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), which made Ethernet networks reliable and loop-free, forming the backbone of modern LANs.
1984
Mike Muuss
Created ping, one of the simplest and most enduring diagnostic tools in networking.
1984–1986
Eric Allman
Wrote Sendmail, the first general-purpose Internet email transport system, crucial for global email interoperability.
1985
Brian Carpenter
Led development of key Internet standards and chaired IETF working groups, promoting IPv6 and architectural consistency.
1986
John Klensin
Significant early work on SMTP, FTP, and internationalization of Internet protocols.
1987
Joyce K. Reynolds & Bob Braden
Contributed to RFC editing, TCP/IP documentation, and Internet research group coordination, maintaining the open RFC process.
1989
Alan Emtage
Developed Archie, the first Internet search engine, enabling users to find files across FTP servers.
1990–1991
Tim Berners-Lee
Invented the World Wide Web at CERN — creating HTTP, HTML, and the first web server and browser (1990–91). This unified hypertext with the Internet.
1991
Linus Torvalds
Created the Linux kernel, which became a cornerstone of Internet infrastructure, web servers, and open-source computing.
1991
Jianping Wu
Led the development of CERNET, China’s first academic Internet network, linking universities across the country.
1991
Scott Bradner
Key figure in IETF standardization and Internet governance; helped define early Internet policy and protocol stewardship.
1992
Kilnam Chon
Built KREONET, the Korean Research Network, pioneering Internet connectivity in Asia.
1993
Marc Andreessen
Co-developed Mosaic, the first mainstream graphical web browser, which popularized the Web and inspired Netscape.
1993
Robert Cailliau
Collaborated with Berners-Lee at CERN to promote and refine the World Wide Web and its first browser/server setup.
1994
Mitchell Baker
Led the Mozilla project, defending open web standards and community-driven browser development during the Netscape era.
1994
Xing Li
Architect of CERNET, China’s first academic network (1994), and early IPv6 advocate for Asia-Pacific.
1995
Paul Vixie
Principal developer of BIND, the most widely used DNS server software; improved DNS reliability and security.
1996
Larry Landweber
Created CSNET and helped connect over 25 countries to the early Internet, bridging academia and policy.
1997
Radia Perlman
Authored Interconnections, formalizing network protocol design principles and influencing Internet routing education.
1998
Jon Postel
Demonstrated control over the DNS root servers and led the IANA transition, symbolizing his lifelong role as the Internet’s numbering authority.
1998
Vint Cerf & Bob Kahn
Helped found ICANN and promoted the institutional frameworks for managing Internet naming and numbering globally.
1999
Al Gore
Sponsored the 1991 High Performance Computing and Communications Act, which funded Internet expansion — earning the nickname “the Information Superhighway.
1960s – The Birth of Networking
Packet switching, the basis of data communication, is conceptualized
Paul Baran & Donald Davies, 1962
The first computer-to-computer message is sent via ARPANET
Leonard Kleinrock & Charley Kline, 1969
ARPANET, the first experimental network, comes online
Lawrence Roberts, 1969
1970s – Protocols & Email
Email, the first person-to-person digital communication tool, is created
Ray Tomlinson, 1971
Ethernet standardizes local area networking (LANs)
Robert Metcalfe, 1973
TCP/IP protocol defines the rules of the internet
Vinton Cerf & Robert Kahn, 1974
The term “Internet” is first used to describe interconnected networks
DARPA, 1974
UUCP enables Unix systems to exchange data over phone lines
AT&T Bell Labs, 1976
1980s – The Internet Goes Public
Domain Name System (DNS) replaces numeric addresses with names
Paul Mockapetris, 1983
ARPANET officially adopts TCP/IP, marking the birth of the Internet
DARPA, 1983
NSFNET expands academic networking, forming the Internet backbone
National Science Foundation, 1986
The first commercial Internet Service Providers (ISPs) appear
UUNET, PSINet, 1989
The first domain name “symbolics.com” is registered
Symbolics Inc., 1985
1990s – The World Wide Web Revolution
The World Wide Web is proposed and built
Tim Berners-Lee, 1989–1991
The first graphical web browser (Mosaic) popularizes the web
Marc Andreessen & Eric Bina, 1993
The first search engines emerge (Archie, Lycos, Yahoo!)
Alan Emtage & Jerry Yang, 1990–1994
ICANN is founded to coordinate global domain management
ICANN, 1998
Google redefines online search and indexing
Larry Page & Sergey Brin, 1998
2000s – Broadband, Social Media & Web 2.0
Wikipedia launches as a collaborative online encyclopedia
Jimmy Wales & Larry Sanger, 2001
Broadband replaces dial-up, enabling video and multimedia online
Global ISPs, early 2000s
Facebook revolutionizes social networking
Mark Zuckerberg, 2004
YouTube transforms video sharing and digital content
Steve Chen, Chad Hurley & Jawed Karim, 2005
IPv6 introduced to expand Internet address capacity
IETF, 2006
2010s – Mobile, Cloud & Global Connectivity
Smartphones and mobile apps reshape global Internet use
Apple & Google, 2010s
Cloud computing becomes the backbone of digital infrastructure
Amazon Web Services, 2010s
Internet of Things (IoT) connects everyday devices
Cisco, 2012
Cybersecurity and data privacy emerge as critical global issues
GDPR, 2018
SpaceX launches Starlink for satellite Internet access
Elon Musk, 2019
2020s – AI, 5G & Decentralization
5G networks deliver ultra-fast, low-latency Internet connectivity
Global Telecom Alliances, 2020
AI-driven Internet transforms content creation and automation
OpenAI, Google DeepMind, 2020s
Blockchain and Web3 enable decentralized applications and ownership
Ethereum Foundation & Global Developers, 2021
Edge computing and metaverse development reshape digital interaction
Global Tech Industry, 2022–2024
Sustainability and Internet governance become global priorities