• Although the internet didn't emerge publicly until the 1990s, an early version of the network was used by the U.S. government's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).



• DARPA used the telecommunication lines to link computers during the 1960s. The agency, which emerged out of Cold War fear, created the network so government had a computer system capable of resisting nuclear attack.



• Computers accelerated the sharing of information, especially by way of the internet, which in some cases has contributed to stock market uncertainty. Constant sharing of stock tips on the internet has led to more regular stock market crashes. One such example was the 1998 Asian Crisis.



• Symbols constructed using punctuation to express emotions, as seen in this CBC Television clip, are called "emoticons." These keyboard characters, in place of facial expressions, help establish a tone that can be otherwise lost or misconstrued with electronic communication.