The Internet Was Born 50 Years Ago

In the past, if a person had questions about something, they had to go to the library and scour multitudes of books and pages of microfiche. While libraries are still important, finding answers to your questions is easier than ever because of the Internet. All you have to do is hop on to your computer (or phone), type your questions into a search engine, and search. The next time you perform an online search, be sure to shout “Happy Birthday, Internet!” That’s because the Internet was born 50 years ago.

Let’s take a look at when the birth of the Internet was and why the birth of the Internet is so monumental 50 years later.

The Beginning

The birth of the Internet took place in Room 3420 of Boelter Hall at UCLA. That’s where a graduate student by the name of Charley Kline sent the first transmission of digital data to a scientist named Bill Duvall. At the time, Duvall was at a computer located in the Stanford Research Institute, which is now called SRI International. The two men were located in different parts of California.

This was the start of a small academic computer network called the ARPANET—the Internet’s precursor.

The data transmission was a big deal at that time, even though the two men didn’t realize it at first. Why? Because it proved that any piece of information in the world could one day be distributed to any individuals with computers. It basically marked the birth of the Internet.

The Internet’s “Birth Certificate”

The terminal operators at UCLA back in 1969 maintained a logbook of all of the events that took place when they established their network. In the entry for October 29, 1969, you can see that an essential notation was made at 10:30 p.m. It says the following: “Talked to SRI, Host to Host.”

This paper is currently held in UCLA’s archives. You could say that the notebook entry is an Internet birth certificate, as it essentially indicates when the birth of the Internet was. After all, the paper is a detailed written record highlighting the exact moment when host computers set up at SRI International and UCLA began to communicate for the first time. It is a powerful physical proof of the birth of the Internet.

Today’s Internet

The Internet all started via a node test in Room 3420 back in 1969. In the 1980s, things evolved with such commercial services as Prodigy and CompuServe. Then, AOL helped to lead the world into the 1990s. Then, we welcomed email and the World Wide Web. These days, an entire Internet of Things is present on everything from your garage door opener to your smartphone. We all benefit from the Internet and computing technology in ways that Duvall and Kline may have never thought was possible just five decades ago.

Capitalize on the Latest Technologies Today

The birth of the Internet is something to be proud of. At EWC Technologies, we take pride in being a leading Intel Next Unit of Computing (NUC) integrator and core original equipment manufacturer (OEM) provider. We offer a wide variety of solutions and services for the following:

• Embedded projects
• Fleet vehicles
• Video surveillance
• Hospitality
• Digital signage
• Businesses
• Health care
• Government
• Education

We are adept at providing holistic solutions for our clients’ varied technology needs. For instance, we can facilitate a proper supply chain mechanism for reseller partners and manufacturers using product fulfillment, centralized selling, support, and direct marketing. Thanks to our solid expertise in e-commerce and various technologies, we can capture customers from various segments.

Get in touch with us today to find out more about our NUC computer solutions for both individuals and businesses today.