The Birth of Websites: A Visual Journey through IT History

Published: (January 8, 2026 at 07:06 PM EST)
2 min read
Source: Dev.to

Source: Dev.to

Introduction

Have you ever wondered when your favorite programming language was actually released, or when the major platforms we use today first appeared on the internet?

“The Birth of Websites” compiles the founding years of IT companies, web services, and technologies, allowing users to visualize decades of IT evolution from the past to the present.

Understanding where we came from helps us understand where we are going.

Live Demo

https://kanywst.github.io/thebirthofwebsites/

GitHub Repository

kanywst/thebirthofwebsites

What is this app?

The project visualizes the history of major tech companies, web services, programming languages, operating systems, and CNCF projects. It also includes notable underground web services that have shaped internet history.

The data is sourced from Wikipedia’s “List of most‑visited websites” and other references such as w3techs. The timeline is continuously updated, and contributions are welcome via comments or by opening an Issue/PR on GitHub.

Technical Details

  • Framework: Vue.js 3
  • Build Tool: Vite
  • Internationalization: Vue I18n

The app is built as a Single Page Application (SPA) and hosted on GitHub Pages for fast, lightweight delivery.

Future Plans

The current timeline may still miss some information. I plan to keep adding entries and improving accuracy, relying on sources like w3techs.

If you notice gaps or have suggestions, please let me know in the comments or contribute directly on GitHub. Your help is highly appreciated!

Call to Action

Give the timeline a try, share your thoughts in the comments, and if you like the project, consider starring the repository on GitHub.

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