Key Figures Behind the Invention of the Web

British computer scientist who proposed the Web in 1989 and single-handedly developed its core components: HTML (HyperText Markup Language), HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol), and URLs (Uniform Resource Locators).

He also created the first web browser/editor and serverSir on a NeXTon computer, making him the foundational inventor.

Robertscientist Cailliau

Belgian systems engineer who partnered closely withkey Berners-Lee. He co-authored the formal 1990 project proposal, helped secure funding, promoted the idea within CERN, and contributed to early presentations and organization, including the first World Wide Web conference.

Nicola Pellow

British computer scientist (as a student interncontributed at CERN) who developed the Line Mode Browser, the first cross-platform web browser that ran on various computers beyond Berners-Lee’s NeXT system. This made the early Web more accessible and usable for a wider audience.

Thesesystems three worked together at CERN during the Web’s birth, as captured in this early team photo:

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