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The Internet is now 25 years old! Do you remember life before email, websites, online searches, social media and YouTube videos? Do you know what the first message ever transmitted over the Internet was? Do you know what the first video chat was used for? How much do you know about this resource you use every day?
On March 1, 2014 the World Wide Web celebrated its 25th anniversary, rising from an experiment to being an essential resource most people access every day. In fact, if you’re reading this article (and I hope you are), you’re probably using the Internet.
While the Internet technically has been around for longer than 25 years, the invention of the World Wide Web by British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee in 1989 made websites possible, transforming the Internet into a much more user-friendly medium.
But how much do you know about this resource that you use constantly? Do you remember back to the days of old when Amazon was just an online bookstore and Google was merely a search engine?
Find out fascinating facts about the Internet and remember how life use to be, way back when:
Infographic courtesy of SEO Halt
What were you doing 25 years ago? Did you have any idea that the world would be changed so radically by computers connecting to each other? From social networks that keep us in touch to shopping websites where we can find even the most obscure products, the Internet has had a profound impact upon our daily lives. Yet 25 years ago very few people had even heard of the Internet.
See, Has Technology Made Us Smarter or Dumber? [Poll]
1989 was a monumental year in history for other reasons besides the Internet:
- The Berlin Wall came down
- Pro-Democracy protesters took over Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China
- George H.W. Bush was inaugurated as the President of the United States.
- The Dalai Lama won the Nobel Peace Prize
- Rainman and Working Girl won Golden Globe awards for best film
- Hulk Hogan beat Randy “Macho Man” Savage in Wrestlemania at the Trump Plaza
See the website History Orb to learn more about what else happened in 1989.
What the Next 25 Years Will Bring
By 2039 our connections to each other may change dramatically, going beyond the World Wide Web. What will be the next wave of connectivity? Some speculate that mobile apps may take the place of the World Wide Web.
Those who see the growth of tablets and smartphones pointing to the post-PC era often predict that mobile apps will be the primary way that people access information. See, Pando Daily, How the rise of mobile apps will help Apple, Google and Facebook kill the Internet as we know it.
Ereaders such as the Kindle also allow us to be connected electronically without using the World Wide Web. Instead of using your browser to read articles, you can use apps, RSS feeds, or a Kindle, none of which were around 25 years ago.
Your Thoughts
Did you learn any new facts about the Internet? When did you start using the Internet? What has been the biggest change in your life due to the Internet? What do you see in the future for the Internet 25 years from now? What were you doing in 1989 (if you were around then)? Let us know in the Comments section below.
Hi Carolyn,
What an eye-opener infographic post 🙂
I never knew half the things I just read here! Not to mention how Gmail acquired it’s name from Garfield and so much more.
We talk of the Internet changing so fast, but that’s how fast even our lives change I would say. What it was yesterday and what it has become today, there is a huge difference and largely the Internet and other technology is responsible for it. It’s got both, the pros and cons, especially where less of family time being spend and more of couch potatoes we are all becoming, while on the other hand, we get so much to learn online, thanks to the same technology.
I don’t even remember when I started using the Internet, perhaps 15 years ago or earlier…seems like it’s been lifelong!! I wouldn’t mind though a life without the Internet, and would look forward to at least a few days without it, especially when it all gets too overwhelming. I don’t know how you handle it all, but some days you just wish the Internet connection would go OFF – what bliss 🙂
Thanks for sharing and taking us back in time. Have a nice weekend 🙂
Hi Harleena, Yes, life would be very different now if the Internet never were invented. We might have deeper real life connections, but even those can be enhanced by the Internet. Probably most people have learned news about a close friend because of a Facebook post.
And yet while we think of how different life would be without the Internet, we realize that it wasn’t all that long ago that we didn’t have the Internet, computers, smartphones, tablets, apps, ereaders and other types of tech. The tech world is changing so very rapidly but so far society has been adapting rapidly right along with tech. We not only adapt to the tech, we integrate it into our daily lives so deeply that we can’t imagine our existence without tech!
I was connected online before the Internet, but it wasn’t fun. I didn’t go on often, I mostly went online with my brother who would show me cool stuff, but everything took so long to load and was text only that it seemed more like a chore than an enticement.
I do get away from the Internet on family holidays and it can be refreshing. You really do focus more on the moment than you do when you’re trying to post what you’re doing on Facebook. The funny thing is, when you log back in after a week or so you realize that not much changed while you were gone!
I remember getting my first computer in 1996, a nice shiny Olivetti, back when Compuserve was the most successful internet provider in the UK, Simple pages loaded in 5 minutes and a song would take about 15-20 minutes to download. Online games stuttered and crashed. And it was still amazing! Over here in Scotland we moan about a 3mb internet connection now but back then we were lucky to get 56k through a dial up modem! Since then though the internet has exploded into life with millions upon millions of pages covering subjects galore from a-z. Think the biggest thing thats struck me over the years is our dependency on it. We check our train times, headlines, bank accounts all online. We’re using it pay restaurant bills and keep in touch with family and friends using things like facebook or skype. If the whole system were to crash i really think people would be walking the streets aimlessly not sure what to do. Its a fantastic tool but the sad thing is I think we’ve lost a lot of interaction with other people due to it. At the same time though it means if family move away you can still remain in touch.
Hi David, Great points! I remember dial up modems when 56k speeds seemed fast. I remember when someone told me that moving between websites would someday be as fast as changing channels on TV. We’re not quite there yet, but we’re getting close.
You’re absolutely right about our dependence upon the Internet. If it went away, and some day it might, society would struggle to get by until we figured out what to do.
Yes, the social aspect of the Internet really does cut both ways. On the one hand, many people spend too much time in front of a screen instead of with real life friends, limiting their face-to-face socialization. But the Internet does give us the ability to stay in touch with distant friends. We can connect on Facebook with people we lost contact with years ago and keep up to date with what’s going on in our friends’ lives. As you point out, we can have free video chats with anyone anywhere in the world. Very cool.
Thanks so much for sharing your insights and experience with us, David!
Hi Carolyn, interesting stats! I was online in 1991 and mostly for email. I remember starting with AOL for email and news.
I found it amazing how many photos are uploaded daily on Facebook and yet our healthcare website could not handle the traffic. They should have hired Facebook to do it for them 🙂
In some ways it totally changed my life and in ways it hasn’t.
It sure does make it easier to keep in touch with people – that’s my favorite part.
Hi Lisa, You’re right, AOL made the Internet user-friendly for a lot of people. Remember how many disks they sent out so people could sign up? They took over Time Warner, they got so big but then people were able to figure out the Internet on their own and AOL lost most of its customers.
Yes, the problems of healthcare.gov should have been anticipated before the site tried to go live. It was a massive undertaking but doable if they had the right programmers doing the job.
Great point, being able to stay in touch with people over the Internet really is life-changing. Being connected with others online can really strengthen relationships.
I’m with Harleena Carolyn, I didn’t know half of what was shared in this infographic. I’ve heard how the web was started but not all the other stuff and especially gmail. That was really interesting.
I can only imagine where it will all be in the next 25 years and you know I kind of hope I’m not still hanging around. By that time I’ll be pretty darn old and although probably staying in touch with people through online platforms I’m not sure I want to be doing all of this at that age. Yikes!
Do you know what I was doing 25 years ago? I was married and miserable, living in the town I grew up in and working as a secretary. I was working on a computer back then but companies didn’t have access to the internet of course. It wasn’t until years later that we all started learning more about it and using it to search things and I have to tell you it made me nervous. It was new, different and confusing because trying to find something was much harder because there wasn’t that much information online back then.
It sure has evolved and it will continue to do so. Thanks for sharing this and I’ll be sure to do the same.
~Adrienne
Hi Adrienne, Wow, life certainly has improved for you in 25 years! You’ve come a very long way with your life and with your comfort level in using the Internet.
I also learned quite a few things from this infographic which is why I was so excited to share it with my readers. Thanks so much for commenting and sharing, Adrienne!
Hello Carolyn,
It’s really good to check these amazing stats and changes of internet and I think there’s lot of improvement to come in future.
Thanks for sharing.
Hi Samir, So glad you enjoyed this fun infographic. You’re right, the one constant about tech is the change.
Hello Carolyn Nicander Mohr,
Ohh… the 25 points you mentioned I don’t know any of them. We just use internet but most of us don’t know the history or don’t give priority to learn it. Previously I saw the first picture online but all other information are new to me. This information are interesting as well as increase our knowledge. The final point – Google Advertise revenue is higher than US Printing Industry. By this we can know how powerful Google is!
Anyway keep publishing interesting post.
Hi Ahsan, I’m so glad you found this infographic to be informative. You’re right, we use the Internet every day but don’t know that much about it. This infographic makes learning about the Internet fun, which is why I was eager to share it here.
Yes, that last fact about Google’s size is amazing. Google grows while the print industry shrinks. Who knows how that will change in 25 more years?
Now am guessing that time social networking sites are not so user friendly. I thinks this is a great to experience the change in technology through your own self. Interesting article, i really enjoyed it.
Hi Surajjgoori, I am very glad you enjoyed this infographic. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment.
Hi Carolyn,
It’s really great to know about the history of internet.
Billions of people are using internet but few of them have some knowledge about this facts. As today I come to know about the first search engine.
There may be many facts about internet which are worthy to know about.
Thanks for sharing.
Have a great weekend.
~Ravi
Hi Ravi, Good point. We use the Internet every day but we know so little about it. This infographic is a fun way of learning more about the Internet.
H Carolyn,
What an interesting post. I love the purpose for the first webcam, watching a pot of coffee to see when it needed to be replenished. 🙂
I was shocked at how quickly the Internet became so popular. It’s amazing it only took 4 years compared to TV and radio.
In 1989 I was using email but didn’t really know much about the Internet.
In 25 years the Internet may be obsolete. Inventions happen everyday so, who knows. Instead of email, there might be some other way to get someone’s attention right now, especially if you need an answer to a question. We already have Face time.
It’ll be interesting to see what the future holds for the Internet.
Thanks for an awesome post, loved it.
Hi Geri, Excellent points. The younger generation rarely uses email anymore. They use text messages, Facebook, SnapChat and Twitter to communicate with each other.
Yes, it’s amazing how quickly the Internet grew. Just as TV didn’t end radio, the Internet doesn’t seem to be ending TV but it does seem to be changing the way we watch TV.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts with us, Geri!
Hi Carolyn,
I remember life before the Internet, it makes me feel old, but I do remember how everything was like before the mobile phones and when we didn’t think about everything that was happening around us.
I love tech, and I believe that the Internet is all good, on the other hand, people are the Internet. The one thing that I don’t enjoy as much, is that it feels that I don’t have as much time to play as I used to. It might not be because of the Internet, but because I’m a lot older now, a man with a family and a job 🙂
Great share Carolyn, and I’m really excited about the future.
– Jens
Hi Jens, You do a wonderful job of unhooking yourself from the Internet every summer for extended periods. But you’re right, our time spent on the Internet is time taken away from other endeavors, such as playing. I hope you are able to carve time out of your day for fun and relaxation, Jens!
I could not get my eyes off when I was reading this post as the picture description has made it eye catching and no doubt Internet has changed our world to an extent we cannot even imagine
Hi Rameez, Excellent point. You’re right, the Internet has changed our lives dramatically. Yet we take the Internet for granted and have become dependent upon our connection to the virtual world.
Thanks for sharing your insights with us, Rameez.
Well, I’m old enough to have started in the ‘working’ world before computers and fax machines. I guess the fax has already come and gone.
I’m so used to the internet it’s hard to remember life without it. Some of the changes are definitely ‘wow’ type changes but they are almost expected these days.
The internet has definitely changed business as usual however. Interesting facts…
Hi Bill, Good point, the Internet has not only changed our personal lives but also our business lives. How quickly we grow accustomed to tech changes. We take for granted not only the Internet, but smartphones, tablets and apps. We go from “wow” to “ho hum” in no time flat!
Hi Carolyn
There were some great facts here. The best ones would be 11 and 24.
They say necessity leads to invention, that’s why they created the first webcam just to see the remaining coffee.
And it seems that the traffic of all sites is going to increase a lot in few years. As there is a time in every person’s life when he/she first get to know about the internet thing and what it can do.
Hi Anurag, I’m so glad you enjoyed this infographic. You’re right, discovering the Internet is the beginning of a life-changing journey. Very few people haven’t had their lives changed by the Internet!
Hi!
Very interesting facts, I love how the content is all displayed in an infographic. I managed to sit through it all and read it all. I seriously had no idea about any of the facts listed above which is quite bad.
Hi Peter, I’m so glad you enjoyed this infographic. Yes, I am a fan of infographics too, so much more fun than just reading a list of facts! These facts are fascinating and new to most of us, even though we use the Internet every day!
Hi Carolyn,
Great post here,
What a tremendous growth in a span of 25 years
Can’t even imagine the simple beginning and the
wonderful growth, well explained/narrated infographic.
I have posted a small write-up about the inventer
of the World Wide Web Tim Berners-Lee in one of
my post. He deserve all of our applauds.
I do not remember when i started using the web
my initial use was with opening an account with rediffmail.com
and then it went on and on to different places, Oh My Goodness
what a journey it is!!! 🙂 Indeed those are pleasant memories!!
I am sure in another few years this net-sphere will be yet another
wonderful and amazing world which we can’t even imagine!! 🙂
Thanks Carolyn fore the insight you put in to this pose and for
the call to your readers to think on.
Keep up the good work
Keep inforemed
Best Regards
~ Philip
Hi Philip, You’re right, Tim Berners-Lee does deserve applause for changing the course of history. I wonder if he had any inkling how important his creation would become!
It will be interesting to see what’s ahead for the future of connectivity.
I always wondered where the surfing the internet phrase came from. I used to know a guy back in the mid 90s that would talk about surfing the net all the time. I don’t hear it being used quite as much now, but it still comes up. I guess it’s more like browse the internet, or go online maybe now.
I’ll tell you those 25 years sure went by fast. It doesn’t even seem like it has been that long. I am glad that I am old enough to know life before it though. Sometimes I miss the slower pace simple life back then. Other times I don’t know if I could do without email.
Anyway interesting article.
Hi Ray, You’re right, much has changed in a short time period. We do forget what life was like before the Internet. Those of us old enough to remember often have difficulty telling younger ones about the “good old days.”
I’m glad you enjoyed this infographic, Ray. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us!
Some pretty amazing Internet facts in that infograph. I honestly had no idea that Google had acquired Gmail through another company.
It’s pretty amazing how the world has gone from no internet, to internet being a basic Human Right.
I can only imagine what it’ll be like in another 25 years when someone else will do a similar post like this, that is if blogs are even still a thing then. 🙂
Hi Daniel, Yes, many of these facts were surprising to me too. It’s amazing how much has changed in a short time and we forget when Google was merely a search engine and Amazon was a bookstore.
I hope someone does write an article in 25 years about how life was 50 years ago, before the Internet was invented. Good question about whether blogs will still be around then!