NBC and Microsoft form a joint venture to launch MSNBC, a 24-hour news channel and website, symbolizing the marriage of traditional broadcast news and the internet. Part of the 17 Internet Evolution Facts: The 1996 Edition… Read More »The Launch of MSNBC
The National Science Foundation shuts down the NSFNET backbone, officially handing over the internet’s infrastructure to commercial network providers. The internet is no longer a government project; it is a private enterprise. Part of the 16… Read More »The NSFNET Decommissioning
Google introduces its own instant messaging service featuring voice communication integrated directly into Gmail, intensifying the web-based chat client wars. Part of the 20 Internet Evolution Facts: The 2005 Edition archive. HistoricallyVerified
The bookmarking platform experiences massive growth, standardizing the use of the “folksonomy”—user-generated tags used to categorize information across the web. Part of the 18 Internet Evolution Facts: The 2004 Edition archive. HistoricallyVerified
Gary Brolsma records himself lip-syncing to an O-Zone song on his webcam. The clip becomes one of the most celebrated and distributed viral videos of the decade. Part of the 16 Internet Evolution Facts: The… Read More »The “Numa Numa” Video Outbreak
Vice City: The massive hit game fuels internet forums with theories and easter egg hunts. It merges gaming culture with web discussions. Part of the 16 Internet Evolution Facts: The 2002 Edition archive. HistoricallyVerified
Platforms like Movable Type and LiveJournal see explosive user growth. They transform personal web pages into structured, chronological journals. Part of the 16 Internet Evolution Facts: The 2001 Edition archive. HistoricallyVerified
A poorly translated intro from the game Zero Wing goes viral on forums and via Flash animations, defining the “internet humor” of the new millennium. Part of the 16 Internet Evolution Facts: The 2000 Edition archive. HistoricallyVerified
This project allows millions of internet users to donate their “idle” computer power to help search for extraterrestrial life, showcasing the power of distributed computing. Part of the 19 Internet Evolution Facts: The 1999 Edition… Read More »The Launch of SETI@home
One of the earliest examples of a “web meme,” the Hampster Dance website (featuring rows of animated GIFs), proves that simple, repetitive humor can capture global attention. Part of the 17 Internet Evolution Facts: The 1998 Edition… Read More »The “Hamster Dance” Goes Viral