Saturday, January 3, 2015

Enter the Internet: Tracing where it all began





The origin of the internet was traced all the way back as early as the 1950’s

Experts consider the 1957 USSR launch of Sputnik, the first artificial Earth satellite, as the triggering event that led to the development of one of man’s creative discoveries in the 20th century.  In response to the former Soviet Union’s historic accomplishment, US President Dwight D. Eisenhower established the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) with the aim of further developing science and technology applicable to US military activities.  ARPA successfully developed the first US satellite in a span of a year and a half.

Dr. J.C.R. Licklider, Head of ARPA’s research team tasked in improving computer applications for military use.  Licklider would lay the foundation for what would become the ARPANET after he expanded the technology that reached the private sector and universities. 

In 1969, the BBN Company used Honeywell mini computers in creating a four-node network.  The participating institutions are UC Santa Barbara, Stanford Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and University of Utah.  The first exchange of letters appearing on far-off monitors was between UCLA and Stanford.   Also that year, SATNET or Atlantic Packet satellite Network was introduced.  US and Europe were connected for the very first time with the use of an Intelsat satellite.

With the growing numbers of developers and users of the technology, a governing body known as the Internet Activities Board (IAB) was created in 1983.  After almost a decade, a new and more organized group was formed.  The Internet Society was chartered to control, manage and find ways to improve the traffic of the worldwide web.

In today’s fast-changing world, the internet has been a major source or medium of information, news, entertainment, communication, business and other activities for millions of people in the around the world.  Many believe that the internet technology is still young and greater innovations in the cyberspace are still waiting to be discovered.


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