Introduction
The internet as we know it today started with a simple website. This website, launched on August 6, 1991, by Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, is still accessible today. It was hosted at CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research) and served as a guide to what the web was and how to use it.
What Was the First Website?
The first website, available at info.cern.ch, was a basic text-based page that explained:
- What the World Wide Web is
- How to create web pages
- How to use hyperlinks
- The technical details behind the project
It was built using HTML (HyperText Markup Language), which was also created by Berners-Lee.
Why Was It Created?
Tim Berners-Lee developed the World Wide Web as a way to improve communication between scientists working at CERN. Before the web, researchers had to share documents through physical means or complex computer systems that weren’t interconnected. His idea was to create a global information-sharing system using hyperlinks.
How It Changed the World
- The World Wide Web made it possible for anyone with internet access to share and retrieve information easily.
- It laid the foundation for modern websites, search engines, and online businesses.
- It allowed people worldwide to communicate and access knowledge like never before.
Is the First Website Still Online?
Yes! The original website was lost for some time, but in 2013, CERN restored and rehosted it. You can visit it at info.cern.ch to see what the first-ever webpage looked like.
Conclusion
The first website may seem simple compared to today’s standards, but it was a revolutionary step in human history. It started the digital era, leading to the development of social media, e-commerce, and artificial intelligence. Next time you browse the web, remember—it all started with a single page at CERN!
🚀 Fun Fact: The first website was built on a NeXT computer, the same company founded by Steve Jobs after leaving Apple!
