The first email ever sent happened in 1971, long before the internet as we know it existed. Ray Tomlinson, a computer programmer, sent the message between two computers sitting side by side at a research lab in Massachusetts. The computers were connected through ARPANET, an early network that laid the groundwork for the internet. Tomlinson picked the @ symbol to separate the user’s name from the computer’s name, a choice that’s still used in every email address today.

The exact message is lost to history, but Tomlinson later said it was something boring like “QWERTYUIOP,” just a test to see if it would work. At the time, no one realized how big email would become—now, billions of emails are sent every day. Tomlinson’s invention changed how we communicate, making letters obsolete for many and paving the way for instant global connection. It’s a small moment that sparked a digital revolution, showing how one tiny idea can bite into history in a big way.

Next time you’re sending an email, think about that first test message from 1971—it’s a history bite that started it all. Share this with your friends and come back for more on Bitefact!