World History Timeline

Related events

October 29, 1969★★★★★

First message sent over ARPANET

The first message is sent between UCLA and the Stanford Research Institute over ARPANET, the precursor of the Internet.

Technology· United States
January 21, 1968 – July 9, 1968★★★★★

Battle of Khe Sanh

North Vietnamese forces besiege the US Marine base at Khe Sanh in Quảng Trị; US forces abandon the base in July.

War· Vietnam, United States
January 30, 1968 – September 1968★★★★★

Tet Offensive

North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces attack more than 100 cities and towns in the South; despite heavy losses, the offensive erodes US public support for the war.

War· Vietnam, United States
March 16, 1968★★★★★

Mỹ Lai massacre

US soldiers of Charlie Company kill hundreds of unarmed civilians at Sơn Mỹ, Quảng Ngãi; the killings become public in 1969.

War· Vietnam, United States
April 4, 1968★★★★★

Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. is shot dead at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, triggering riots in many American cities.

PoliticsDeath· United States
1971★★★★★

First networked email

Ray Tomlinson sends the first email between computers on ARPANET, choosing the @ sign to separate user and host names.

Technology· United States