10 Things You Didn’t Know About the Internet

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Whether you are checking social media, finding the latest meme, or streaming your favourite show, the Internet has made our lives more convenient and entertaining. This aside, how much do you truly know about the Internet?

The creation of the Internet and all its uses are often taken for granted. It is now a place where billions of people share their thoughts, data, and resources to the digital online world, and wouldn’t think a second more about the technology they use to do it. The truth is the details behind the Internet, and its creation are remarkable. We’ve compiled ten interesting facts about the Internet that you probably didn’t know. 

1. The acronym “URL”

URL is an acronym for Uniform Resource Locater. A URL or web address is the specific location of a website, page, database, or file on the Internet such as westmancom.com.

2. The first website is still online

The first website in the world was launched by CERN in 1991. The web was originally conceived and developed to meet the demand for automated information-sharing between scientists in universities and institutes around the world. The World Wide Web project and its website remains as an active website, as it is a critical piece of Internet history. It can be found HERE. 

Click HERE to see how it initially looked in 1991 with the Line simulator website.

Screenshot of the recreated page of the first website

3. The first social network 

The first social network ever was a website created in 1997, known as SixDegrees.com. This social network was a public place where users could upload photos and information that was shareable within smaller friend networks.2 Sadly, SixDegrees only lasted a few years before the site was shut down in 2001.  

4. Emailing is the #1 thing we do on the Internet.

According to Statista, emailing is the most common thing Canadians do online. In 2020, researchers found that 87% of Canadians use the Internet to send and receive emails every day. Other everyday online activities include online banking, engaging on social media, and accessing news.

5. The Internet weighs as much as one strawberry.

The Internet and its data are made up of billions of electrons, which all have weight, and with that you can technically “weigh” the Internet. With the help of Einstein’s equation, the billions upon billions of moving electrons on the Internet add up to approximately 50 grams or 2 ounces. Fifty grams is about the same weight as a plump strawberry.

6. How many websites are there?

By the end of 1993, there were only about 623 websites on the Internet. According to Statistica, there is now over 1.72 billion. 

7. There’s A LOT of Google searches happening

Google processes, on average, over 40,000 search queries every second, which translates to over 3.5 billion searches per day. You can see a live count of Google’s Searches HERE.

8. The age of the Internet

As of October 1, 2020, the Internet is 11,527 days old (31.5 years)! Check HowOldIstheInter.net to keep up to date.

9. Globally connected

Approximately 59% of the world’s population currently has an Internet connection as of July 2020. In 1995, it was less than 1% of the world’s population.

10. The first-ever domain is still live. 

The first-ever registered domain was symbolics.com. This website still exists today as the domain’s owners and creators wanted to keep this piece of Internet history alive. They have since turned the domain into an online Internet museum for the public to visit. The main goal of the museum was to recognize the early pioneers who made the Internet and the World Wide Web what it is today. Anyone can visit the website and take a virtual tour through the history of the Internet!

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