The Internet began as a project called ARPANET in 1969, which connected just four computers in different locations — like creating the first tiny digital neighborhood!
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Facts About The Internet
Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn, often called the “Fathers of the Internet,” invented the special language called TCP/IP in 1974 that computers use to talk to each other across the Internet!
The very first email was sent in 1971 by Ray Tomlinson, and he chose the “@” symbol to separate the user’s name from their machine’s name.
The World Wide Web, which helps us browse the Internet easily, was invented by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989 — that’s when websites as we know them today were born!
The first website ever created went live on August 6, 1991, and was about how to use the World Wide Web – like an instruction manual for the entire Internet!
In 1995, only 0.4% of the world’s population used the Internet, but today more than 65% of people around the globe are connected!
The first popular web browser was called Mosaic, released in 1993, and it helped people explore the Internet just like explorers used maps to discover new lands!
The first webcam was invented in 1991 at Cambridge University to watch a coffee pot — scientists wanted to know if fresh coffee was available without walking to the break room!
When the Internet first started, it could only send around 50 kilobits of data per second — today, we can send millions of times more data in the same amount of time!
The first social media site, called Six Degrees, was launched in 1997, allowing people to create profiles and make friends online for the first time!
The Internet is like a giant spider web made of millions of computers connected together through cables, satellites, and wireless signals!
When you send something over the Internet, it gets broken into tiny pieces called packets, sent separately, and then put back together at its destination — like sending a puzzle through the mail!
Every device connected to the Internet has a unique address called an IP address, just like every house has its own street address!
Underwater cables crossing our oceans carry 99% of all international Internet data — they’re like giant extension cords connecting continents!
Wi-Fi works by sending Internet data through the air using radio waves, similar to how a radio receives music but much faster!
The Internet uses special computers called servers that work 24/7 to store websites and send them to people who want to visit them!
When you type a website address, special computers called DNS servers work like phone books to find the right website’s location!
The Internet can send data around the world in less than a second — faster than you can say “Hello”!
Cloud storage on the Internet works like having a magical backpack that can hold stuff and access it from anywhere!
Internet security works like a digital lock and key system, using special codes called encryption to keep your information safe!
The Internet handles more than 7 billion searches every day — that’s almost as many searches as there are people on Earth!
Every minute, people watch more than 694,000 hours of videos on YouTube — that’s like watching TV for 79 years!
The Internet can connect millions of devices at once, from phones and computers to refrigerators and doorbells!
Internet cables under the ocean can transmit the entire contents of all Harry Potter books in less than one second!
The Internet allows doctors to perform surgery on patients who are thousands of miles away using special robots!
The Internet helps airplanes stay in contact with the ground and know exactly where they are at all times!
The Internet can translate languages instantly, helping people from different countries talk to each other in real-time!
More than 4 billion people use the Internet every day to learn, work, play, and connect with friends and family!
Students around the world can attend virtual classes through the Internet, learning from teachers who might be thousands of miles away!
Scientists use the Internet to work together on important research, even when they’re in different countries!
Farmers use the Internet to control special robots that help plant and water crops automatically!
Doctors can check on patients’ health through the Internet using special devices that send medical information instantly!
The Internet helps track packages as they travel around the world, showing exactly where they are at any time!
Libraries use the Internet to let people borrow digital books that can be read on computers and phones!
Space stations use the Internet to send pictures and videos back to Earth and communicate with scientists!
Museums use the Internet to give virtual tours to people who can’t visit in person!
Emergency responders use the Internet to coordinate help during natural disasters and save lives!
More than 500 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute — that’s like 21 days of non-stop videos!
The first Google computer storage was made using LEGO bricks to hold hard drives, totalling 40 GB of storage!
There are more devices connected to the Internet than there are people on Earth!
The most visited website in the world gets more than 100 billion visits every month!
Every second, about 6,000 tweets are posted on X (formerly Twitter) — that’s like writing a book every 2 seconds!
The Internet uses enough electricity every year to power a small country!
More photos are uploaded to the Internet in two minutes than were taken in the entire 1800s!
Scientists are working on Internet connections that use light instead of electricity to be even faster!
Quantum Internet is being developed that will be completely unhackable using the laws of physics!
The Internet has created millions of new jobs that didn’t exist 30 years ago!
Internet passwords that use eight characters can be cracked quickly, but ones with 12 or more characters are super strong!
The Internet has special protected areas just for kids where content is carefully checked to be safe and appropriate!
