The concept of the World Wide Web was initially introduced on March 12, 1989. Before the rise of popular online platforms like MySpace, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, Tim Berners-Lee, a software engineer, had been diligently working on his proposal for a project known as the World Wide Web.
On March 12, 1989, the 33-year-old British computer scientist presented his vision for a computer network in a document titled “Information Management: A Proposal.” His boss, Mike Sendall, described his vision as vague but exciting. The subsequent year, Berners-Lee was given permission to work on his presentation. His idea for the world wide web originated from his frustration with the inefficiency of accessing information across different computers, requiring constant logins.
Berners-Lee aimed to address this issue by creating a hypertext database with typed links. His goal was to establish the web as a universal source of information and a platform where individuals could find their own space for work, entertainment, and socialization.
By 1990, Berners-Lee had developed the HyperText Markup Language (HTML), the Uniform Resource Identifier (URI)/URL, and the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). He also created the world’s first web page browser and editor called “WorldWideWeb.app,” along with the first web server named “httpd.” A few months later, he completed the very first internet webpage and allowed individuals outside of CERN to access the nascent online world. For the web to fulfill its goal of universality, it needed to be an open system.
In April of ’93, Berners-Lee’s vision, the world wide web, became accessible to the entire world. Today, after 30 years, the world continues to reap the benefits of his tireless efforts. Is this the most significant invention of all time?
