World Wide Web Day 2024 Facts: What's the Difference Between Internet and Web? 8 Interesting Things About WWW You May Not Have Known

World Wide Web Day, celebrated annually on August 1, honours the creation and evolution of the World Wide Web, a groundbreaking innovation that has revolutionised information access and global connectivity. This day is dedicated to acknowledging the profound impact of the web on our daily lives, and it provides an opportunity to reflect on its transformative power. This is a day to appreciate the technological advancements that have made the web an integral part of modern society. We at LatestLY have collated several interesting facts about the World Wide Web that you can consider.

Since its inception by Sir Tim Berners-Lee in 1989, the web has grown exponentially, becoming a vital tool for communication, education, business, and entertainment. It has democratised information, enabling people from all corners of the globe to access and share knowledge effortlessly. To enhance your knowledge about web, learn about some interesting facts that you might not be aware of.

1. Early Beginnings: Enquire and the Proposal

In 1980, Berners-Lee developed a personal data management system called Enquire, which interconnected pages and information. This early project laid the groundwork for what would eventually become the World Wide Web nine years later.

2. The ‘Vague but Exciting’ Idea

The journey towards the World Wide Web began in earnest in March 1989. Berners-Lee presented a document titled Information Management: A Proposal to his boss, Mike Sendall. Despite describing it as "vague but exciting," Sendall encouraged Berners-Lee to pursue the idea further. Following this endorsement, Berners-Lee refined his proposal and secured two computers for his work. By December 1990, the World Wide Web was operational, marking the beginning of a new era in global communication.

3. What WWW Stands For

Ever wondered what the www stands for at the start of a website URL? It is the world wide web.

4. Differentiating the Web From the Internet

It's important to clarify that the World Wide Web and the Internet are not synonymous. The Internet is a vast network of interconnected computers worldwide, while the World Wide Web consists of a collection of web pages accessible through this network.

5. The Internet’s Existence Before the Web

Before the advent of the World Wide Web, the Internet already existed as a global network of computers. However, there was no unified method to link documents and data across this network. The World Wide Web addressed this gap by providing a system to interconnect information and make it easily accessible.

6. The First Website and Its Global Expansion

The first website went live on August 6, 1991, at a place called the European Organization for Nuclear Research (known as CERN), where Berners-Lee worked. By the following year, Stanford University in the US hosted the first web server outside Europe. At this time, there were only ten web servers worldwide. This website, which explained the concept of the World Wide Web, is still available online and serves as a historical artifact of the web’s early days. You can visit it at info.cern.ch.

7. Opening the Web to the Public

A pivotal moment in the history of the World Wide Web occurred on April 30, 1993, when CERN made the web publicly accessible. This move allowed individuals and organisations to create their own web pages, significantly accelerating the web's growth. By the end of 1993, there were 623 web servers globally.

8. The Role of Web Servers

For a website to be accessible, it needs to be hosted on a web server. While anyone can create a website or social media profile, the content must be uploaded to a server owned by companies like Amazon or Google. Users can then access these websites by entering their URL addresses into web browsers such as Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla, and Firefox.

The World Wide Web has come a long way since its inception, transforming from a tool for scientific data sharing to a global platform for information and communication. As it continues to evolve, it will undoubtedly bring even more innovations and transformations to our world.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 01, 2024 07:59 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).