CIS 310 Fall 2025 – History of Data Communications

Flashcards covering key concepts and milestones in data communications history, the invention of the Internet, and modern usage trends.

What does ARPANET stand for?

Advanced Research Projects Agency Network

Who is commonly regarded as the 'Father of the Internet' for TCP/IP work?

Vint Cerf.

Who developed Ethernet and where?

Robert Metcalfe at Xerox PARC.

Who demonstrated the practical telephone?

Alexander Graham Bell.

Who patented the Telegraph and Morse Code?

Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail.

Who sent the first telegraph message, and from where to where?

Samuel Morse, from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore, Maryland (about 35–40 miles).

What major infrastructure connected telegraph lines across the Atlantic?

A telegraph line had been laid across the Atlantic Ocean from the U.S. to Europe.

What early concept is considered a precursor to ARPANET?

The Galactic Network (MIT concept).

Which labs/universities were connected by ARPANET?

UCLA and Stanford Research Institute (SRI).

What does TCP/IP stand for?

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol.

With which key figures is TCP/IP associated?

Vint Cerf (and others) developing the protocol suite.

Who introduced the World Wide Web (WWW)?

Tim Berners-Lee.

Which graphical web browser helped popularize the Web?

Mosaic.

What major programming language aided web development?

Java.

What policy action did the US Congress take regarding the Internet?

Approved commercial use of the Internet.

What is Telstar in the context of communications history?

An early communications satellite.

What were computers like in their early stages (1950s–1960s)?

Computers were massive, expensive machines used by governments and corporations, requiring specialized knowledge to operate.

Who invented the microprocessor (the 4004 chip)?

Intel

What was the significance of the microprocessor's invention?

It allowed computing power to be packed into smaller, affordable devices.

What was the Altair 8800?

created by MITS, is widely considered the first commercially available personal computer, sold as a kit.

Who created the Altair 8800?

MITS

Who designed the Apple I?

Apple’s two Steves (Jobs and Wozniak).

What three iconic PCs launched in 1977, marking the beginning of mass-market personal computing?

Apple II, Commodore PET, and TRS-80.

Which company released the IBM PC, and what operating system did it run?

IBM, running Microsoft’s MS-DOS.

What was the significance of the IBM PC?

It became the industry standard and legit

Timeline of Communications and Computing History

• 1837: Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail patent the Telegraph and Morse Code; first telegraph message sent.
• Late 1860s/Early 1870s: Transatlantic telegraph line laid.
• 1876: Alexander Graham Bell demonstrates the practical telephone.
• 1950s–1960s: Computers were massive, expensive, and required specialized knowledge; early concept of the Galactic Network emerges.
• 1962: Telstar, an early communications satellite, is launched.
• 1969: ARPANET connects UCLA and Stanford Research Institute (SRI).
• 1971: Intel invents the microprocessor (the 4004 chip).
• 1973/1974: Vint Cerf and others develop the TCP/IP protocol suite.
• 1975: MITS releases the Altair 8800, the first commercially available personal computer kit.
• 1976: Apple’s Steves (Jobs and Wozniak) design the Apple I.
• 1977: Launch of Apple II, Commodore PET, and TRS-80 marks the beginning of mass-market personal computing.
• 1979: Robert Metcalfe develops Ethernet at Xerox PARC.
• 1981: IBM releases the IBM PC, running Microsoft’s MS-DOS.
• 1984: Apple introduces the Macintosh, the first successful PC with a graphical user interface (GUI).
• Late 1980s/Early 1990s: Tim Berners-Lee introduces the World Wide Web (WWW).
• Early 1990s: Mosaic graphical web browser helps popularize the Web.
• Mid-1990s: Java programming language aids web development.
• 1995: US Congress approves commercial use of the Internet.