The Internet emerged as an idea long before the creation of the World Wide Web. When the telegraph was discovered in the 19th century, the first idea of a large network of interconnected computers emerged.
However, the World Wide Web has made the biggest contribution to what the Internet is today.
The WWW (World Wide Web) was invented in 1989 by British scientist Timothy John Berners-Lee. At the time, Berners-Lee worked for the European Organization for Nuclear Research. Since that moment he has been considered the founder of the web.
However, there is certainly more to it than that. Berners-Lee played an important role, but there are still so many factors and discoveries to consider beforehand.
That’s why we decided to take you on a journey back through the history of the Internet and try to answer three essential questions:
- What led to the creation of the Internet?
- When did the Internet first appear?
- Who is the person who “discovered” the Internet in its form?
Many brilliant people have contributed to the development of the Internet as we know it today. Many discoveries and important events have contributed to getting to where we are today.
Definition of the WWW and the Internet
World Wide Web – It is the largest information retrieval system that allows users to access a large number of documents (web pages) connected via hyperlinks.
Internet – a globally connected network of computers based on various Internet protocols that allows different devices and networks to communicate with each other.
The development of any technology and innovation is always the result of many events that take place before the actual invention. When talking about the World Wide Web and the Internet, there are two important storylines to follow:
- The invention of Internet protocols
- The invention of hypertext
These two made this global network possible, but at the same time many other technologies also contributed to the development of the Internet. That’s why we’ll start by talking about them.
What is covered in this article?
The “prehistoric era” of the Internet The Internet as we know it today would never have been possible without two essential inventions of the 19th century: the telegraph and electricity
Historical timeline of Internet development We will follow a relevant historical timeline of Internet development. We will mention some of them Key technologies, Organizations, eventsAnd People who contributed to the creation of the modern Internet.
1828
In 1828, a German scientist named Pavel Schilling invented the first electromagnetic telegraph called Schilling.
| People Baron Pawel Lwowitsch Schilling – born in 1786. Although he worked in the Russian military and as a diplomat, his roots were German. He died in 1837. Source: Wikipedia Technologies |
1833
Two German scientists, Wilhelm Weber and Carl Friedrich Gauss, created a code that they used for long-distance communication in Göttingen, Germany. Their communication extended over 1200 m.
Source: Nationalmaglab
| People Wilhelm Eduard Weber – born in Wittenberg in 1804. The German physicist worked with Carl Friedrich Gauss to develop the first electromagnetic telegraph. He died in 1891. Source: Wikipedia Carl Friedrich Gauss – born in Braunschweig in 1777. This German physicist and mathematician. He is considered one of the most successful mathematicians in history. Source: Wikipedia Technologies |
1838
In 1834, Charles Babbage began work on his prototype Analytical Engine after his Difference Engine project failed. He made rapid progress and by 1838 had all the essential design concepts ready.
Source: Union.edu
| People Charles Babbage – born in London in 1791. The English mechanical engineer, inventor and mathematician is considered the founder of the programmable computer. Many call him the “father of the computer.” Babbage died in 1871. Source: Wikipedia Technologies |
1843
Ada Lovelace was the world’s first female programmer. Similar to Babbage, she was interested in Analytical Engines and how they worked. But more than that, she knew how to enter data into the program and use it to solve Bernoulli numbers, which is considered the world’s first computer program.
Source: Nemo Science Museum
| People Ada Lovelace – Born in London in 1815. She was the world’s first female programmer. As a mathematician, Lovelace was fascinated by Babbage’s machine. She described how it worked and created the first computer program. Technologies |
1844
The very first Morse code was sent from Washington to Baltimore by Samuel More. It was a public telegraph that said, “What has God done?” This event actually marked the development of the first telephone connection between these two cities using telegraph technology.
Source: Postal landscapes
| People Samuel Morse – born 1791 in Charlestown, Massachusetts. This American inventor was one of the key players in inventing the telegraph system. He is also the one who made telegraphy commercial. Source: Wiki Technologies |
To be continued