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1969

The Internet's First Message Sent from UCLA

UCLA becomes a harbinger of the modern era as it launches ARPANET, the precursor to the modern internet, from its Measurement Center in September. UCLA becomes the first "node" of the internet, and the first message goes from UCLA to the Stanford Research Institute, Internet Node #2, on October 29th.
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1969 -- The Internet is born at UCLA:

Breakthrough Bruin innovation.

Five decades ago, a small group of computer scientists working out of a modest space in UCLA’s Boelter Hall accomplished something never before seen. They successfully created the world’s first network connection on October 29, 1969 as part of what was known as ARPANET, and thus became the first node of what would eventually become the Internet.

The team, led by the distinguished professor of computer science, Leonard Kleinrock, on that day successfully transmitted the first message over the ARPANET from UCLA all the way to the Stanford Research Institute hundreds of miles north. In that moment, the Internet was born, and with it, an almost limitless number of possibilities for the future.

So after trillions upon trillions of sent messages over the years, what was the first Internet message? According to Kleinrock, they intended to transmit the word “LOGIN,” but the system crashed just after they had sent the first two letters. “Hence, the first message on the Internet was 'LO' — as in 'Lo and behold!',” Kleinrock said. “We didn't plan it, but we couldn't have come up with a better message: succinct, powerful and prophetic.”