Internet Artifacts

ARPANET Logical Map, March 1977

A map of ARPANET, the precursor to the internet, showing the 111 computer terminals connected to the network in 1977.

ARPANET was created by the Department of Defense to allow researchers to share information and resources. The network was initially limited to universities and research institutions.

By 1983, ARPANET had over 4,000 connected computers and a growing number of e-mail users. The ARPANET completion report concluded that "the full impact of the technical changes set in motion by this project may not be understood for many years."