Fact Finder - History

The first message ever sent over the ARPANET (the precursor to the modern internet) occurred between UCLA and the Stanford Research Institute. Student programmer Charley Kline attempted to type 'LOGIN.' The system crashed after he typed the first two letters, making 'LO' the first message transmitted. By the second attempt later that night, the full word was sent. ARPANET used 'packet switching,' a revolutionary method of breaking data into small chunks to send them across a network. This project, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, was designed to create a communication system that could survive a nuclear strike. From these humble beginnings, the network grew into the global internet, transforming every aspect of human civilization, from commerce and science to social interaction and warfare.