The First Network Email Is Sent

Setting the scene

ARPANET connected a handful of U.S. research computers, but users still transferred files manually; programmers wanted a way to leave messages on remote machines without a phone call.

What happened

Engineer Ray Tomlinson sent the first networked email in 1971 on ARPANET, choosing the @ symbol to separate usernames from host names—a convention still used by billions.

Why it still matters

Email became the internet's killer app long before the Web and reshaped office communication worldwide. Memorable detail: Tomlinson could not remember the exact text of that first test message.

Background

Tomlinson could not remember the exact test message.