Ray Tomlinson
Programmer who sent the first networked email and chose the @ sign
- Lived
- 74 yrs
- 1941 – 2016
- Works listed
- 1
- Software
- Honours
- 3
- Most recent 2012
- Profile views
- 3
- 0 followers
Ray Tomlinson was an American computer programmer at BBN who in 1971 sent the first email between computers on the ARPANET and chose the @ symbol to separate the user from the host computer in email addresses.
Biography
Background
Tomlinson studied electrical engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and MIT and joined Bolt Beranek and Newman (BBN) in 1967, where he worked on the TENEX operating system.
First email
In late 1971 he combined a local mail program, SNDMSG, with a file-transfer program so that messages could be sent to users on other computers. His first test message, between two machines side by side, was something like “QWERTYUIOP”, which he did not remember.
The @ sign
He needed a character that would not appear in names; he chose @ because it meant “at”. The format user@host became universal.
Legacy
Email quickly became the ARPANET’s most popular use. Tomlinson remained at BBN until his death in 2016 and was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame in 2012.
Timeline
-
1941
Born in Amsterdam, New York, United States
-
1967
Joins BBN
-
1971
Sends the first network email
-
2009
Princess of Asturias Award
-
2012
Internet Hall of Fame
-
2016
Dies
-
2016
Died, aged 74
Notable works
-
1971
SNDMSG network email Software
Awards and honours
-
IEEE Internet Award
2004
-
Princess of Asturias Award
2009
-
Internet Hall of Fame
2012
Did you know?
-
1
He told a colleague not to tell anyone about email because it wasn’t what they were supposed to be working on.
-
2
The two computers used for the first email were physically next to each other.
-
3
MoMA added the @ sign to its design collection in 2010.
Connections
Frequently asked
Who is Ray Tomlinson?
Ray Tomlinson was an American computer programmer at BBN who in 1971 sent the first email between computers on the ARPANET and chose the @ symbol to separate the user from the host computer in email addresses.
When did Ray Tomlinson die?
Ray Tomlinson died on 5 March 2016 at the age of 74.
Where is Ray Tomlinson from?
Ray Tomlinson was born in Amsterdam, New York, United States.
What is Ray Tomlinson known for?
Ray Tomlinson is best known for First email between computers on the ARPANET (1971); using @ in addresses.
What awards has Ray Tomlinson received?
Notable honours include IEEE Internet Award (2004), Princess of Asturias Award (2009), Internet Hall of Fame (2012).
References
- Ray Tomlinson — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Ray Tomlinson — Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Ray Tomlinson — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Official website. openmap.bbn.com. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Ray Tomlinson (Q92631) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Ray Tomlinson”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 4 November 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Ray Tomlinson.” TrackFame, last updated 5 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/ray-tomlinson
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