Raymond Samuel Tomlinson was an American computer programmer who invented the first email program on the ARPANET system, the precursor to the Internet, in 1971; it was the first system able to send mail between users on different hosts connected to ARPANET. Previously, mail could be sent only to others who used the same computer. To achieve this, he used the @ sign to separate the username from the name of their machine, a scheme which has been used in email addresses ever since.
Ray Tomlinson, American computer programmer and engineer (died 2016)
Ray Tomlinson, American computer programmer and engineer (died 2016)
On April 23, in the year 1941, Ray Tomlinson, American computer programmer and engineer (died 2016). This event is recorded as a Notable Births event in the history of April 23, one of 445 recorded events on this date across all of history.
1 notable person is associated with this event, including Ray Tomlinson. Learn more below.
Key Facts
- This event took place on April 23, 1941 (AD era).
- It is categorised as a Notable Births event in recorded history.
- Referenced in 1 Wikipedia article.
- 1 notable person is recorded as involved in or associated with this event.
- Wikipedia source last updated on 30 March 2026.
On This Date in History 445
This article draws on content from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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