At
the end of 1985, there were a whopping total of six domain names registered in
the world. That number has expanded to more than 3 million names registered
globally. Below, we've listed a few of the most influential and interesting
moments in the history of domain names.
1985: The first .com domain
On
March 15, 1985, Symbolics Inc., a computer manufacturer in Massachusetts,
registered the domain name Symbolics.com, making it the first appropriately
registered .com domain in the world. Symbolics.com remained under the same ownership
until 25 years later, in 2009, when it was purchased for an undisclosed sum by
XF.com Investments.
1995: Domain name registration is no
longer free
Before
1995, anyone who wanted a domain name could register it free of charge. That
all changed when the National Science Foundation awarded tech consulting
company Network Solutions the ability to charge for registration. Domain prices
began at $100 for a two-year registration.
1998: Privatization of the DNS and
ICANN
In
1998, the Department of Commerce, under President Clinton's urging, issued a
proposal for privatizing the Domain Naming System (DNS), which was then
controlled by the U.S. government. The document -- known as the "Green
Paper" -- was created with the goal to both increase competition in the
market and encourage more participation internationally. Public criticism of
the proposal led to the creation of the "White Paper," which
addressed many concerns with the original document and led to the formation of
ICANN.
2003: Truth in Domain Names Act
Incorporated
into the PROTECT Act of 2003, this piece of legislation set a punishment for
the creators of deceptive domain names, which lure users to a pornographic
website without their consent. Early offenders included "Bobthebiulder.com"
and "Teltubbies.com".
2012: Man registers 14,962 domains in
24 hours
In
April 2012, Mike Mann, a domain speculator registered nearly 15,000 domain
names in a span of 24 hours. In explanation of his actions, he said, simply,
"I'm just really greedy. I want to own the world."
2013: Internet runs out of four letter .com-domains
In December 2013, WhoAPI, a domain data analysis startup, revealed that every possible combination of four-letter .com domain names had been registered. From AAAA.com to ZZZZ.com, all 456,976 combinations have been exhausted. The three-character .com domains have been used up since 1997.