历史小径·世界史英语30篇（1）

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互联网初生：从实验室到起居室

In the late 1960s, U.S. researchers built ARPANET to share computing resources between universities and defense labs.
Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web in 1989 at CERN, designing URLs, HTML, and HTTP for scientists.
The first web browser, Mosaic, launched in 1993 and made the internet visual, fast, and easy for ordinary users.
Dial-up modems connected homes slowly, but email, chat rooms, and basic websites spread rapidly.
Online encyclopedias like Nupedia (later Wikipedia) invited public contributions, challenging traditional knowledge authority.
Small businesses opened virtual storefronts, while newspapers added online editions to reach wider audiences.
Governments started offering services online, from tax filing to passport applications, increasing transparency.
Yet digital divides grew — rural areas and poorer countries lagged in access and technical training.
Early internet culture valued openness and collaboration, though commercial interests soon reshaped its direction.
What began as a tool for experts became a global platform for learning, connection, and creative expression.