Sputnik 1 - Exigence
The Beginning
In response to the demonstrated space technology the USSR possessed, the US created ARPA, the Advanced Research Projects Agency within its Department of Defense. ARPA's mission is to foster scientific and technological research with potential military applications.In his farewell address, Eisenhower stated"We should take nothing for granted only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together. Akin to, and largely responsible for the sweeping changes in our industrial-military posture, has been the technological revolution during recent decades. In this revolution, research has become central; it also becomes more formalized, complex, and costly. A steadily increasing share is conducted for, by, or at the direction of, the Federal government."
Dwight D. Eisenhower1958Early Days
J.C.R. Licklider becomes the first director of ARPA's Information Processing Techniques Office (IPTO). Licklider envisions a "galactic network" that connects computers and facilitates collaboration among researchers, making collaborative work much easier.“If such a network as I envisage nebulously could be brought into operation, we would have at least four large computers, perhaps six or eight small computers, and a great assortment of disc files and magnetic tape units—not to mention the remote consoles and teletype stations—all churning away.”
J.C.R Licklider1962ARPANET
Node One
The first ARPANET node(communication) was established when BBN connceted succesfully computers at UCLA(University of California, Los Angeles) and SRI(Stanford Research Institute). This connection is the birth of ARPANET, the precursor to the modern Internet.1967-1969Information Sharing and Collaboration
Researchers at the USC(University of Southern California) and Stanford University began to use ARPANET together in order to develop the ARPANET Network Measurement Center(NMC)."The ARPANET project has successfully shown the feasibility of a network of computers, connected to one another by medium- and high-speed communication links."
Lawrence Roberts, ARPA scientist, in a 1967 paper.1971Email: revolutionizing long-distance communication
"The @ sign seemed to make sense. I used it to indicate that the user was 'at' some other host rather than being local." - Ray Tomlinson, on choosing the @ symbol for email addresses.
Image Credit - Twming.com 1972Going Public
The first public demonstration of ARPANET takes place, showcasing the potential of networked computing. This demonstration sparks interest and excitement about the possibilities of interconnected computers.1974A Growing Community
The number of ARPANET nodes reaches 111, connecting a growing number of institutions and users."By the end of 1975, twenty-nine sites were connected to the ARPANET. This early network is now an operational resource supporting a large and growing research community in the computer science and related disciplines." - Vint Cerf and Robert Kahn, in their 1978 paper on TCP/IP.
1975-1978Success
The Final Days
ARPANET was officially decommissioned in 1990. This process began in 1989 when NSF(National Science Foundation) had taken over the management of the network and decided to switch from ARPANET to NSFNET(National Science Foundation Network). The NSFNET provided a more robust infrastructure and expanded connectivity. By April 30, 1990, ARPANET ceased to exist as an operational network, marking the end of its service.1990Unrestricted: The birth of the open Internet
The National Science Foundation lifts restrictions on the commercial use of the Internet. This decision paves the way for the Internet's commercialization and its widespread adoption by businesses and the general public.1991A New Beginning
