CompuServe introduces MicroNET, the first dial-up online information service available to the general public. Offering email, forums and file sharing, it introduced many users to digital communication and online identities, laying early groundwork for the future commercialization of the internet.

The first U.S. commercial Internet Service Provider (ISP), The World, begins offering customers direct access to the internet with a dial-up connection. Based in Brookline, Mass., and operated by Software Tool and Die, The World offered a full internet connection rather than proprietary online services or time-sharing like CompuServe or Prodigy.

Network Solutions, Inc. first operated the domain name system (DNS) registry under a sub-contract with the U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA)​.

Mosaic becomes the first popular graphical web browser, making the World Wide Web visually accessible and easy to use. Its intuitive interface sparked explosive growth in internet usage and domain name registrations, as more people and businesses sought to establish a web presence.

Popular web browser, Netscape, is released with SSL version 2.0, using RSA encryption for secure communication between web browsers and servers across the DNS. This development includes HTTPS, laying the foundation for increased internet trust and secure e-commerce, in turn driving demand for domain names.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) ends its Acceptable Use Policy for the Internet, effectively lifting restrictions on commercial activity. This decision came less than three years after the policy was introduced in June 1992, marking the transition of the internet from a government-funded research network to a commercially viable platform.

Verisign is established as a spin-off from RSA Data Security, focused on providing online trust using digital certificate services.

Network Solutions begins charging $100 for two-year domain name registrations. Previously, domain names were free.

Early SSL certificates for commercial websites, enabling encrypted communication over HTTPS, are issued by Verisign. Certificates, combined with security-capable browsers, helped establish a foundational trust model for domain-based e-commerce and communication using domain names as a verifiable digital identity.

GoDaddy enters the market as a domain name registrar, offering affordable and user-friendly domain name registration services. By targeting small businesses and individual users with simplified tools and competitive pricing, GoDaddy rapidly became a leading retail registrar.

The launch of ICANN’s Shared Registration System (SRS) enables multiple registrars to offer domain name registrations, expanding access to the domain name market and fueling the commercial growth of the DNS industry. Initial registrars included AOL, CORE, France Telecom/Oléane, Melbourne IT, Register.com, growing to 98 registrars by year's end.

Seventeen internet-based companies, including pets.com and computer.com, purchased ads during Super Bowl XXXIV, using .com domains as their brand. This high-visibility moment drove widespread awareness of domain names, prompting a rush in registrations by entrepreneurs, businesses and investors.

Digital certificate provider Verisign acquires Network Solutions, the original domain name registrar and registry. The $21 billion stock transaction brings together domain name registration, DNS infrastructure management and digital certificate management, fueling growth of these key technologies and advancing scalability of the internet’s naming system.

ICANN delegates .info to the DNS root zone, going beyond beyond .com, .net, and .org to initiate the first wave of new gTLDs. The expansion, which also includes .biz, .name, and others, is designed to increase choice and reduce overcrowding in the existing namespace.

The public launch of .info leads to rapid adoption, reinforcing the need for resilient, scalable domain infrastructure.

The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) publishes the Internationalizing Domain Names (IDNs) in Applications standard, making it possible to use non-ASCII characters in domain names. ICANN follows with IDN implementation guidelines, advancing multilingual access to the internet.

These technical solutions translate domain names written in non-Latin languages, such as Arabic or Chinese, into an ASCII text representation compatible with the DNS without requiring infrastructure changes.

Verisign divests its registrar subsidiary, a portion of the Network Solutions business purchased three years prior, but retains the registry side of the business.

Verisign continues to operate the .com and .net registries, managing domain name allocation, maintaining zone files and ensuring the security, stability and resiliency of the DNS for those top-level domains (TLDs).

ICANN opens the application process for organizations to operate new generic top-level domains (gTLDs), including brand-specific, industry and geographic extensions.
The program leads to the delegation of thousands of new gTLDs, initiating one of the most significant expansions of the domain name ecosystem.

Lockdowns and remote work mandates accelerate digital transformation globally at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Small businesses, schools, and services providers around the world rapidly moved online, driving a surge in new domain registrations and increasing reliance on DNS infrastructure for stability and availability.