Who invented the internet? History & Key facts

Today, the internet is an essential part of everyday life — we work, communicate, learn, and entertain ourselves online. But who actually invented the internet? And how did a military research project evolve into a global communications network? In this article, you’ll discover the key milestones, innovations, and pioneers behind the development of the internet. It’s a story of international collaboration, technological breakthroughs, and a profound transformation in how people exchange information.

31.3.2025 | Reading time: 5 minutes

The early days: Military origins in the United States

The origins of the internet date back to 1969, with a project by the U.S. research agency ARPA (Advanced Research Projects Agency). The goal was to develop a decentralized and resilient communication network that would continue to function even if parts of it were destroyed during war. At the time, most network structures were centralized, making them vulnerable to failures—this idea was revolutionary.

This project led to the creation of ARPANET, a network that initially connected four computers at U.S. universities: the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the Stanford Research Institute, the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the University of Utah. The first attempt to send a message over the network technically failed—it crashed after transmitting just two letters, “LO” (for “LOGIN”) — but it still marked the beginning of a new era.

Who is considered the inventor of the internet?

The internet wasn’t invented by one single person, but rather emerged through decades of research by many scientists, engineers, and institutions. Several key individuals contributed foundational elements that made the internet what it is today.

Vinton Cerf & Robert Kahn

Often called the fathers of the internet, Cerf and Kahn developed the TCP/IP protocol in the 1970s. This protocol forms the core of today’s internet, enabling data to travel between networks regardless of the hardware in use. The introduction of TCP/IP on January 1, 1983, was a turning point—it allowed different networks to interconnect. That date is often considered the official “birthday” of the internet.

Tim Berners-Lee

Another key figure is British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee, who worked at CERN in Switzerland in 1989. He invented the World Wide Web, a system for linking and accessing information through hyperlinks and graphical interfaces. The first website, http://info.cern.ch, explained his new project. Berners-Lee laid the foundation for what we now know as web browsing.

Paul Baran & Leonard Kleinrock

Back in the 1960s, Paul Baran and Leonard Kleinrock explored the concept of packet switching—breaking data into smaller pieces, sending them individually, and reassembling them at their destination. Unlike traditional circuit-switched communication (like telephone networks), this approach was more efficient and robust, and it became a fundamental component of internet architecture.

It’s a decentralized system, meaning there’s no single control point. That makes it resilient to failures, fosters innovation, and enables it to expand freely across countries, industries, and technologies.

How does the internet work?

Behind every Google search, YouTube video, or online purchase is a complex but invisible process:

Your browser sends a request to a DNS server to find the IP address of the website.

A connection is established using TCP/IP protocols.

The website’s data is split into packets, sent through different routes, and reassembled on your device.

All this happens in milliseconds, thanks to an infrastructure of routers, fiber optic cables, servers, and wireless networks worldwide.

Difference between the internet and the World Wide Web (WWW)

People often use “internet” and “Web” interchangeably, but the World Wide Web is just one of many services on the internet. The Web uses HTTP and HTML to display websites, but the internet also supports:

E-mail

VoIP (internet phone calls)

FTP (file transfers)

Streaming platforms

The internet continues to function even if the Web is down, and modern technologies like IoT (Internet of Things) and blockchains also rely on the same global infrastructure.

Why was the internet invented?

Originally, the internet was designed to provide secure, reliable computer communication—especially in the Cold War context. Later, it became a tool for academic and scientific collaboration.

With the rise of the World Wide Web in the 1990s, the internet quickly evolved into a platform for education, business, entertainment, and social interaction. Today, it’s as essential as electricity or clean water.

Who runs the internet today?

The internet is not controlled by a single organization. It functions through a decentralized network of stakeholders:

Internet service providers (ISPs) deliver access to users

ICANN assigns IP addresses and manages domain names

IETF creates technical standards

W3C develops web technologies like HTML and CSS

This distributed governance helps protect the internet from political influence, and makes it more resistant to failures or manipulation.

What was the world’s first website?