Tim Berners-Lee
Invented the World Wide Web — and gave it away royalty-free.
Tim Berners-Lee was born in 1955 in London, England. Tim Berners-Lee's background is described as English; both parents were early computer scientists. Growing up, the family was middle class — his mother and father both programmed the Ferranti Mark 1, the first commercial computer; math at the dinner table was normal. Invented the World Wide Web — and gave it away royalty-free.
- Born
- 1955 · London, England
- Roots
- English; both parents were early computer scientists
- Family
- Middle class
- His mother and father both programmed the Ferranti Mark 1, the first commercial computer; math at the dinner table was normal.
- Education
- Queen's College, Oxford (physics)
- Started with
- A soldered computer
- Banned from Oxford's computer lab for hacking, he built his own machine from a microprocessor and an old television.
- Affiliations & societies
- Royal SocietyDocumented
- Elected a Fellow in 2001; also appointed to the Order of Merit.
- Information only — claims like these are often unverifiable and may be wrong.
The pathway
- 1980 · age 25ENQUIRE
A personal hypertext notebook built as a CERN contractor — the seed.
- 1989 · age 33"Vague, but exciting"
His boss's verdict, written on the cover of the proposal that becomes the Web.
- 1990 · age 35HTTP, HTML, and the first browser
Built on a NeXT machine; the first website goes live at info.cern.ch.
- 1993 · age 37Royalty-free, forever
CERN releases the protocols without fees — the decision that lets the Web beat its licensed rivals and belong to everyone.
- 1994 · age 39W3C
Founds the standards consortium at MIT rather than a company.
- 2012 · age 57"This is for everyone"
Tweets it from the middle of the London Olympics opening ceremony, spelled out in stadium lights.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Tim Berners-Lee from?
Tim Berners-Lee was born in 1955 in London, England. Their background is described as English; both parents were early computer scientists.
When was Tim Berners-Lee born?
Tim Berners-Lee was born in 1955, in London, England.
What is Tim Berners-Lee's background or ethnicity?
Tim Berners-Lee's roots are described as English; both parents were early computer scientists. These are broad categories drawn from public sources, not statements about how the person identifies.
Where did Tim Berners-Lee go to school?
Tim Berners-Lee's education: Queen's College, Oxford (physics).
What was Tim Berners-Lee's family background growing up?
At birth the family was middle class. His mother and father both programmed the Ferranti Mark 1, the first commercial computer; math at the dinner table was normal.
How did Tim Berners-Lee get started?
Tim Berners-Lee started with a soldered computer. Banned from Oxford's computer lab for hacking, he built his own machine from a microprocessor and an old television.
Sources
Compiled from these references and contemporaneous press reporting. Figures are approximate; verify before relying on them.