Some of the major technology and computer events that happened on this Day in Tech History: The I LOVE YOU virus strikes at computers worldwide and the frist SPAM is sent.
1978 – First SPAM
The first unsolicited bulk commercial e-mail is sent by Gary Thuerk. Thuerk working in marketing for Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) sends an email to all 393 users of ARPANET on the west coast of the United States. In the email is an invitation to a demonstration of DEC’s new Decsystem-20 computer. Thuerk had to type each address in manually. The message brought about an immediate negative reaction. Thuerk will receive an official reprimand from the administrators of the government-run network and numerous complaints though he claims the company made millions from the email.
2000 – ILOVEYOU virus
The ILOVEYOU virus or Love Letter virus starts to infect personal computers around the world. Thought to be the fastest-moving and most widespread virus ever seen, the virus spreads through e-mail. Many users fall fowl of the subject line, “I love you.” A total of 55 million computers encounter the virus, and about 2.5 to 3 million will become infected with an estimated cost of system downtime of $8.7 billion.
