Brief history

They succeeded — sort of — in their attempt to send the word “LOGIN.” Charley Kline: “So I’m on the phone and I type the L and say, ‘OK, I typed in L, you got that?’ Bill Duvall, the guy at Stanford, is watching his monitor and he has the L. I type the O. Got the O. Typed the G. ‘Wait a minute,’ Bill says, ‘my system crashed. I’ll call you back.'” An hour later, under the watchful eye of UCLA computer science professor Leonard Kleinrock, Kline was able to send the complete “LOGIN” message.  Another man, a computer scientist named Joseph Licklider, also deserves credit for being an internet pioneer with an early vision of a worldwide computer network long before it was built. Today he’s known as “computing’s Johnny Appleseed.”  It’s impossible to calculate the effect of the Internet on society as a whole. That’s like trying to figure out how the telephone and printing press changed the world. We started with chat rooms, email programs, and some basic websites and wound up in the midst of a cultural revolution. Today we’ve got mail — along with access to infinite possibilities — in our back pockets. Literally.

How to celebrate

There are many ways to celebrate National Internet Day. Here are some ideas:

• Share information about the history of the internet on social media.
• Organize a webinar or online discussion about the impact of the internet on society.
• Host a virtual event or workshop on internet safety and security.
• Share stories about the internet's role in your life.

Internet Day

Interesting facts

• The first message sent between two computers was a simple «login».
• The ARPANET was a network of computers operated by the United States Department of Defense.
• The internet has revolutionized the way we communicate, access information, and do business.
• National Internet Day is a reminder of the importance of the internet in our lives and the need to promote its safe and responsible use.