Internet Memorial Day

What Is "Internet Memorial Day" on November 21?

Internet Memorial Day commemorates November 21, 1969, when the first stable two-node connection was established on ARPANET—the precursor to the internet—between Stanford Research Institute and UCLA. In the initial test on October 29, the system crashed while transmitting the word "LOGIN," with only "LO" getting through—a famously told anecdote. On November 21, the first fully successful transmission was achieved.

From ARPANET to the Internet: 54 Years of Evolution

ARPANET was a network developed by DARPA, a research arm of the US Department of Defense, originally for military and research purposes. What began as a connection between just a few dozen computers evolved into the internet we know today through the development of the TCP/IP protocol in the 1970s, the invention of the World Wide Web by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989, and the spread of commercial internet access in the 1990s.

The Early Days of the Internet in Japan

In Japan, "JUNET"—a network connecting the University of Tokyo, the Tokyo Institute of Technology, and Keio University—began operating in 1984. Commercial internet providers emerged in 1993, opening up internet access to the general public. After the "internet boom" of the late 1990s, internet penetration in Japan reached about 84% by 2023.

How the Internet Has Changed Our Lives

• Access to information: Instant access to knowledge from around the world, without needing to visit a library
• Communication: Email, social media, and video calls have made it easy to connect across distances
• Economy and business: E-commerce sites, online marketplaces, and crowdsourcing have created new economic ecosystems
• Entertainment: Video streaming, music streaming, and online gaming have transformed how we have fun

The Importance of Internet Literacy

Internet Memorial Day is also a day to think not only about gratitude for convenience, but also about the challenges of life online—fake news, personal data protection, cybersecurity, and the digital divide. The ability to discern true information and use the internet safely is increasingly essential for everyone today.