The World Wide Web is opened to the public.
The World Wide Web (WWW) was invented by British computer scientist Sir Tim Berners-Lee in 1989 while he was working at CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research) in Switzerland. The Web was developed to help researchers easily share and access information across different computers and locations.
Berners-Lee’s proposal for the World Wide Web outlined the concept of using hypertext to link documents together on a network. He developed three key technologies that are essential components of the modern Web:
HTML (Hypertext Markup Language): This is the standard markup language used to create web pages. HTML allows content creators to structure the text, images, links, and other elements on a webpage.
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol): This is the protocol used for transferring data across the Web. It enables the retrieval of linked resources, such as web pages and images, from remote servers.
URLs (Uniform Resource Locators): URLs provide a standardized way of addressing resources on the Web. They allow users to specify the location of a specific webpage or resource using a unique address.
In addition to these foundational technologies, Berners-Lee also developed the first web browser and web server. The first web browser, called “WorldWideWeb,” allowed users to view and navigate web pages. The first web server, “httpd,” hosted the initial webpages and made them accessible to others over the network.
On August 6, 1991, Berners-Lee posted a summary of the World Wide Web project on the alt.hypertext newsgroup, making it publicly available. This marked the beginning of the public’s access to the Web. Over the years, the Web rapidly evolved, leading to the creation of various web browsers, the development of more advanced web technologies, and the expansion of the Internet’s capabilities.
The invention of the World Wide Web revolutionized communication, information sharing, and business practices worldwide, shaping the modern digital age and enabling the interconnectedness we see today.