Networking History – Decade of the Internet’s First Implementation In which decade did the earliest form of the Internet (ARPANET-era packet switching) first go live?

Introduction / Context:
The Internet evolved from research networks that pioneered packet switching and distributed communications. Identifying the correct decade helps place related innovations like email, TCP/IP, and the web in their historical sequence.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• “First implemented” refers to initial operational networks, not just theory.
• ARPANET is recognized as the precursor to today's Internet.
• Key milestones include the first successful remote logins and node connections.

Concept / Approach:
The ARPANET connected initial nodes in the late 1960s (for example, 1969 connections among UCLA, SRI, UCSB, and Utah). This decade marks the first working packet-switched wide-area network, laying the foundation for subsequent protocols and global expansion.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Historical accounts list 1969 as the year of the first ARPANET links and initial login, confirming the 1960s as the correct decade.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• 1940s/1950s: Pre-digital or early computing eras without operational packet-switched internets.
• 1980s: Era of TCP/IP standardization and growth, not the first implementation.

Common Pitfalls:
Conflating the birth of the World Wide Web (1990s) with the earlier Internet/ARPANET timeline.

Final Answer:
1960s