1989: the proposal that became the World Wide Web
Separating the proposal from the later working server and browser.
Event period: 1989 CE — separate from publication date
Also known as: Tim Berners-Lee · WWW · CERN
A proposal
At CERN in March 1989, Tim Berners-Lee proposed the World Wide Web to help scientists share information.
Different milestones
He and Robert Cailliau formalised the proposal in November 1990. By the end of that year, a server and browser were working at CERN. A proposal, a working system and wider availability are distinct milestones.
Claims and evidence
The first proposal dates to March 1989; a server and browser were running by the end of 1990.
Sources
- A short history of the Web — CERN
Sections “Where the Web was born” and “How the Web began”: March 1989 proposal; November and end of 1990.
Source accessed 2026-10-28
