Tim Berners-Lee at his desk in CERN, 1994 CERN The first website launched on December 20, 1990, and was created by Tim Berners-Lee, a scientist at the CERN research facility in Switzerland.

The project was originally meant to allow scientists to communicate more easily, but the World Wide Web (abbreviated to "www") has since grown into something used by over 3 billion people.

Almost everything we do in our day-to-day lives is influenced by the web, including social interaction, work, banking, gaming, and more.

Here's what the web looked like 25 years ago.

The very first website from CERN explained what the web was and how it could be used, and it included some links to other definitions.

The very first website. CERN

Aliweb was the first search engine and was part of a project at CERN in 1993. The project was created by Martijn Koster, one of the web's original architects.

Aliweb was the first search engine. Aliweb

Bloomberg launched its website in 1993 as an extension of the company's Bloomberg Terminal service, which delivers financial and technology news to anyone who pays $24,000 (£16,000) a year.

The Bloomberg homepage on December 20, 1996. Bloomberg

Amnesty International is the global human-rights organisation that seeks to bring justice and transparency to the world. The website was created in 1994 by the organisation's Computer Communications Working Group.

Amnesty International. Amnesty International

The Economist was founded in 1843. The news organization's website went live in 1994 and cost $120 (£80) to make, paid for by one of the publication's correspondents.

The Economist website in 1996. The Economist

Pizza Hut is an American restaurant chain. The website launched in 1994 and was a way to order pizza or book a table online.

The Pizza Hut website in 1996. Pizza Hut

Yahoo was, for a time, many people's version of the front page of the internet. The company was founded in 1995 and was originally called "Jerry's Guide to the World Wide Web."

The Yahoo homepage in 1996. Yahoo

The White House gained a website in 1996. It let journalists search for photos, radio addresses, and other relevant information.