The .com domain has been around for nearly 40 years and is still the most popular domain extension in the world. But how did it all start? Let’s take a trip through history and see how .com became what it is today.
The Early Days
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1985: The Internet Gets Domain Names
Before domain names, people had to type long numbers (IP addresses) to visit a website. The Domain Name System (DNS) was introduced to make things easier by letting people use names instead. -
March 15, 1985: The First .com is Registered
A company called Symbolics registered the first-ever .com domain: symbolics.com. It’s still online today as a historical website!
The Growth of .com
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1990s: The Internet Takes Off
More businesses and individuals started getting online, and .com domains became extremely popular. -
1993: The U.S. Government Hands Over Control
The U.S. Department of Defense originally managed domain names but passed the responsibility to the National Science Foundation (NSF) as the internet became more commercial. -
1995: Domains Are No Longer Free
At first, registering a .com domain was free. But in 1995, a company called Network Solutions started charging $50 per year for them. -
1998: ICANN is Created
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) was formed to oversee domain names and make sure everything was fair and organized.
The Dot-Com Boom & Crash
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Late 1990s – Early 2000s: The Internet Gold Rush
Companies saw the internet as the future, and thousands of .com domains were bought. Many businesses were created just to be online, leading to what’s now known as the Dot-Com Bubble. -
2000: The Bubble Bursts
Many internet companies failed, and domain registrations slowed down. But .com remained strong as the go-to choice for businesses.
.com in the Modern Era
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2010: Over 100 Million .com Domains Registered
By 2010, .com had become the most widely used domain extension in the world. -
2020s: More Than 160 Million .com Domains
Today, over 160 million .com domains are registered, making it the most recognized web address worldwide.
Interesting Facts About .com
- The most expensive .com ever sold was cars.com, which went for $872 million in 2014.
- In 2024, OpenAI bought chat.com for around $15 million from a tech entrepreneur.
- Despite new domain extensions like .tech, .shop, and .ai, .com is still the most trusted for businesses.
Challenges for .com
- Rising Prices: VeriSign, the company that manages .com, has been increasing prices, leading to concerns about fairness.
- Competition: New domain extensions are being introduced, but .com still remains the most sought-after.
The .com domain has come a long way from its humble beginnings in 1985. It has survived booms, crashes, and competition while remaining the most recognizable domain extension in the world. Whether you’re a business owner, a blogger, or just someone looking for a website, owning a .com domain still carries a lot of value today.
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