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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 email goes from UCLA to the Stanford Research Institute, Internet Node #2, on October 29th.

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 -- two machines on campus that were linked together virtually. It was part of what was known as ARPANET, and became the first node -- or a prelude -- of what would eventually become the Internet.

Only months later, the same team, led by the distinguished professor of computer science, Leonard Kleinrock, would successfully transmit 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: short and prophetic."