The key might be in the definition/timing of the term "Internet". ;) On 3/14/2018 6:23 PM, Michael Kjörling wrote: > On 15 Mar 2018 08:14 +1100, from dave at horsfall.org (Dave Horsfall): >> The first Internet domain, symbolics.com, > What qualifies as an "Internet domain" in this context? I'm honestly > curious about the definition you're using. > > Poking at RFCs at random, RFC 820 mentions mailboxes with SMTP-style > (as opposed to e.g. UUCP) addresses, but with only a single label as > the hostname (for example, "KLH at NIC" or "Hinden at BBN-Unix"). That one > is dated January 1983. > > The August 1982 (!?) RFC 821 has example SMTP conversations that use > addresses on the form foo at bar.ARPA. So the concept of domain names > similar to today certainly existed before 1985, and the DNS RFCs > (initially 1034, 1035) were only published in 1987... > > So by what definition would symbolics.com in 1985 be the first > Internet domain registered? >