Ray Tomlinson - Inventor of the First Email System, Career and Family
Ray Tomlinson's Personal Details
Raymond Tomlinson was an American computer programmer who was for long credited as the inventor of the email
| Information | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birthday | April 23, 1941 |
| Died on | March 5, 2016 |
| Nationality | American |
| Famous | Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, Engineers, Computer Engineers, Electrical Engineers, Inventors & Discoverers, Inventor of the First Email System |
| Known as | Томлинсон, Рэй |
| Universities |
|
| Notable Alumnis |
|
| Discoveries / Inventions |
|
| Birth Place | Amsterdam, New York, U.S. |
| Gender | Male |
| Sun Sign | Taurus |
| Born in | Amsterdam, New York, U.S. |
| Famous as | Inventor of the First Email System |
| Died at Age | 74 |
Ray Tomlinson's photo
Who is Ray Tomlinson?
Raymond Tomlinson was an American computer programmer who was for long credited as the inventor of the email. He implemented the first email program on the ARPANET system in the early 1970s and was internationally known for inventing the email. However, following his death in early 2016, a controversy erupted over who actually invented the email with entrepreneur and innovator VA Shiva Ayyadurai claiming to have actually created it. But it is well accepted that it was Tomlinson who innovated the usage of the “@” sign to separate the user name from the name of their machine, an idea which was later adapted for forming email addresses. Born and raised in New York, he attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy and graduated with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. He then proceeded to further his education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for his master’s degree. He then took up a job with Bolt Beranek and Newman (now Raytheon BBN Technologies) where he played a major role in the development of the TENEX operating system including ARPANET Network Control Program and TELNET implementations. It was during his stint there that he created a program to send messages to other users of a time-sharing computer.
// Famous Massachusetts Institute Of Technology
Dolph Lundgren
Dolph Lundgren is a famous Swedish actor, film-maker, screenwriter and martial artist. This biography offers detailed information about his childhood, family, personal life, etc.
Joseph E. Stiglitz
Joseph E. Stiglitz is a Nobel Prize winning American economist. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family life, achievements and other facts related to his life.
Richard Feynman
Richard Feynman was a Nobel Prize winning American physicist who proposed the theory of quantum electrodynamics. To know more about his childhood, career, profile and timeline read on
Childhood & Early Life
Raymond Samuel Tomlinson was born on April 23, 1941 in Amsterdam, New York. He had three brothers.
He received his primary education from the Broadalbin Central School in Broadalbin, New York. He then went to the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) where he participated in the co-op program with IBM.
He graduated with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 1963. Following this he enrolled at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). There he worked in the Speech Communication Group and developed an analog-digital hybrid speech synthesizer and earned his master's degree in electrical engineering in 1965.
Career
He was appointed by the technology company of Bolt, Beranek and Newman (now BBN Technologies) as a computer engineer in 1967. There he helped to develop the TENEX operating system.
The Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET), an early packet switching network was a part of the TENEX operating system which also included TELNET implementations. Tomlinson, a pioneering computer genius, wrote a file transfer program called CPYNET to transfer files through the ARPANET.
During this period, a lot of developments were taking place in computer technology and networking. His employers asked him to work on SNDMSG which was an early electronic mail program which was used to send messages to other users of a time-sharing computer. He was told to change the program so that it could run on TENEX.
Tomlinson extended the program by adding code which he took from CPYNET to SNDMSG to create a version that enabled sending messages to users on other computers accessible over the ARPANET. He innovated the use of the “@” sign to separate the user name from the name of their machine.
His message sending innovation, launched in 1971, is generally believed to be the first email that was ever sent. The text of the first email Tomlinson sent was a test, so it was not preserved. According to his own accounts, it was a very forgettable message not worth remembering.
Tomlinson’s email program revolutionized the world of communication. His email software became widely popular and over the years email became one of the most used forms of communication for people all over the world.
In addition he also played a leading role in developing the required services for email, including setting a standard format for email messages, and designing a tool for creating and reading email. He participated in a meeting to enhance FTP to support email which was used until 1982 before being replaced by SMTP.
Major Works
Raymond Tomlinson is widely credited as the inventor of email. In 1971 he updated an existing utility called SNDMSG so that it could copy messages over the network and sent a message from one Digital Equipment Corporation DEC-10 computer to another DEC-10. This message is regarded as the first email ever sent.
Awards & Achievements
In 2000, he was honored with the George R. Stibitz Computer Pioneer Award from the American Computer Museum (with the Computer Science Department of Montana State University).
He received a Webby Award from the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences for lifetime achievement in 2001.
In 2012, Tomlinson was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame by the Internet Society.
Personal Life & Legacy
Raymond Tomlinson died on March 5, 2016 in Lincoln, Massachusetts from a heart attack. He was 74.
Following his death, VA Shiva Ayyadurai, an American inventor of Indian origin, has claimed that it was he, and not Tomlinson who actually invented the email.
// Famous Computer Engineers
Robert Hawking
Robert Hawking is a British software engineer, better known as the eldest son of the English theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author, Stephen Hawking. Let’s take a look at his family, personal life, career and other interesting facts.
Bill Gates
Bill Gates is the co-founder of Microsoft and currently the richest man in the world. This biography of Bill Gates provides detailed information about his childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline
Markus Persson
Markus Persson is a renowned Swedish video game designer and programmer, best known for creating the hit game Minecraft. This biography profiles his childhood, life, achievements and timeline.
Ray Tomlinson's awards
| Year | Name | Award |
|---|---|---|
Other | ||
| 0 | IEEE Internet Award | |
Ray Tomlinson biography timelines
- // 23rd Apr 1941Raymond Samuel Tomlinson was born on April 23, 1941 in Amsterdam, New York. He had three brothers.
- // 1963 To 1965He graduated with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 1963. Following this he enrolled at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). There he worked in the Speech Communication Group and developed an analog-digital hybrid speech synthesizer and earned his master's degree in electrical engineering in 1965.
- // 1967He was appointed by the technology company of Bolt, Beranek and Newman (now BBN Technologies) as a computer engineer in 1967. There he helped to develop the TENEX operating system.
- // 1971His message sending innovation, launched in 1971, is generally believed to be the first email that was ever sent. The text of the first email Tomlinson sent was a test, so it was not preserved. According to his own accounts, it was a very forgettable message not worth remembering.
- // 1971Raymond Tomlinson is widely credited as the inventor of email. In 1971 he updated an existing utility called SNDMSG so that it could copy messages over the network and sent a message from one Digital Equipment Corporation DEC-10 computer to another DEC-10. This message is regarded as the first email ever sent.
- // 1982In addition he also played a leading role in developing the required services for email, including setting a standard format for email messages, and designing a tool for creating and reading email. He participated in a meeting to enhance FTP to support email which was used until 1982 before being replaced by SMTP.
- // 2000In 2000, he was honored with the George R. Stibitz Computer Pioneer Award from the American Computer Museum (with the Computer Science Department of Montana State University).
- // 2001He received a Webby Award from the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences for lifetime achievement in 2001.
- // 2012In 2012, Tomlinson was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame by the Internet Society.
- // 5th Mar 2016Raymond Tomlinson died on March 5, 2016 in Lincoln, Massachusetts from a heart attack. He was 74.
// Famous Inventors & Discoverers
Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor, best known for his development of alternating current electrical systems. This biography of Nikola Tesla provides detailed information about his childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline.
Thomas Newcomen
Thomas Newcomen was a British inventor who developed the world’s first steam engine. Browse through this biography to learn in details about his life, career, works and timeline.
Erno Rubik
The famous inventor and educationist, Erno Rubik is known world-wide for his invention the ‘Rubik’s Cube’. To know more about the childhood, profile, timeline and career of this famous architect-inventor read on.
Ernst Ruska
Ernst Ruska was a German physicist who invented the electron microscope. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline.
Howard Hughes
Howard Hughes was an American aviator, business tycoon, philanthropist and also a film maker. This biography explores his childhood, career, achievements and timeline.
Richard Trevithick
Richard Trevithick was a British inventor who was the pioneer of steam-powered road and rail transport. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family life, achievements and fun facts about him.
Ray Tomlinson's FAQ
What is Ray Tomlinson birthday?
Ray Tomlinson was born at 1941-04-23
When was Ray Tomlinson died?
Ray Tomlinson was died at 2016-03-05
Where was Ray Tomlinson died?
Ray Tomlinson was died in Lincoln, Massachusetts, U.S.
Which age was Ray Tomlinson died?
Ray Tomlinson was died at age 74
Where is Ray Tomlinson's birth place?
Ray Tomlinson was born in Amsterdam, New York, U.S.
What is Ray Tomlinson nationalities?
Ray Tomlinson's nationalities is American
What was Ray Tomlinson universities?
Ray Tomlinson studied at Massachusetts Institute Of Technology (MIT), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
What was Ray Tomlinson notable alumnis?
Ray Tomlinson's notable alumnis is Massachusetts Institute Of Technology (MIT)
What is Ray Tomlinson's inventions/discoveries?
Inventor Of The First E-mail System was invented (or discovered) by Ray Tomlinson
What is Ray Tomlinson's sun sign?
Ray Tomlinson is Taurus
How famous is Ray Tomlinson?
Ray Tomlinson is famouse as Inventor of the First Email System