How was the Internet born out of the Cold War?

Like Rome, the Internet was not built in a day. In its early days, the network was just a handful of computers at the U.S. Department of Defense. It grew out of technical progress, but also out of the spying ambitions of the two superpowers of the Cold War. By the late 20th century, dial-up access had reached most American homes, and web browsing soon followed.

By the end of the millennium, the technology was so widespread and so new that some analysts predicted a global meltdown if computer calendars failed to roll over to the year 2000: the fear of the Y2K bug. In the 21st century, instant messaging, social media and artificial intelligence have changed the way people communicate online once again. How did a military project become part of everyday life for the whole world?