According to Mashable, “On October 29, 1969, the first two nodes of ARPANET were interconnected between UCLA’s School of Engineering and Applied Science and SRI International (SRI) in Menlo Park, California.” In normal person speak? It’s the internet’s 40th birthday!

This is a momentous occasion. Let us take this time to revel in the wonder of this day with some beautiful things the internet hath wrought:

• The fun of “warning” a friend on AIM in middle school.
• The grave importance of keeping your AIM profile up to date with the latest Blink 182 quotes and initials of your best friends.
• The creation of “memes” which have given us more trite bullshit to discuss during awkward elevator rides.
• Your 8th grade Xanga that got you grounded because “stuff” is not a clever code word for “Smirnoff Ice.”
• The increased societal acceptance of unparalleled narcissism.
  
• The ability to break up with someone via GChat.
• P. Diddy’s Twitter (LET’S GO PEOPLE!!!!)
• The death of journalism, grammar, cable, [insert old people gripe here].
• The proliferation of porn and the ability to be exposed to it way before you’re 18.
• The “academic endeavor” of turning a classic work of literature into nothing but emoticons.
• 2D love
• To Catch a Predator
• This:
  

Ah, sweet nostalgia. Happy 40th, Internet!