{
  "question": "Was today the day the first email was sent?",
  "url": "https://was.today/the-day-the-first-email-was-sent",
  "verdict": "no",
  "headline": "NO",
  "answer": "No — Ray Tomlinson sent the first networked email in late 1971, roughly 55 years ago.",
  "details": [
    "Sent in October 1971, from one TENEX machine to another",
    "No exact date survives; Tomlinson said he forgot the message",
    "The test message was probably gibberish like QWERTYIOP"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Wikipedia: October 26",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_26"
    },
    {
      "title": "Azərtac",
      "url": "https://azertag.az/ru/xeber/ispolnilos_40_let_so_dnya_otpravki_pervogo_elektronnogo_pisma-757739#1"
    },
    {
      "title": "| • 1971 Ray Tomlinson develops an annual application for new live ARPAN (1990)",
      "url": "http://archive.org/download/gov.uscourts.mad.185980/gov.uscourts.mad.185980.31.4.pdf#5#9#5"
    },
    {
      "title": "Guinness World Records",
      "url": "https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2015/8/60/1971-first-ever-email-392973#1"
    }
  ],
  "date": "2026-10-26",
  "place": null,
  "permalink": "https://was.today/the-day-the-first-email-was-sent/2026-10-26",
  "scope": "global",
  "volatile": false,
  "generatedAt": "2026-10-26T08:37:26.887Z"
}