Members of the team of scientists that created the forerunner of the Internet — ARPANET, with Arlington County Board Chairman, Chris Zimmerman

DARPA’s new headquarters in Ballston

The Arlington County Board has officially commemorated the founding, and founders, of ARPANET, the forerunner of the Internet, with historic markers to be placed at 1400 Wilson Boulevard where the agency was headquartered back in the 1970’s. The plaque reads:

"The ARPANET, a project of the Advanced Research Projects Agency of the Department of Defense, developed the technology that became the foundation for the internet at this site from 1970 to 1975. Originally intended to support military needs, ARPANET technology was soon applied to civilian uses, allowing information to be rapidly and widely available. The Internet, and services such as e-mail, e-commerce and the World Wide Web, continues to grow as the under-lying technologies evolve. The innovations inspired by the ARPANET have provided great benefits for society."

Although many communities lay claim to being the home of the Internet, Arlington may have the most legitimate claim. The inventiveness of what is now DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) continues in Arlington as the new headquarters for the agency is under construction in Ballston. To quote Dr. Regina Dugan, DARPA Director, the agency promises to "take the impossible, convert it to the improbable, and make it inevitable."

For more, read the press release.