Who first created the networks that later developed into the Internet?

The Internet dates back to 1969, when the U.S. Department of Defense decided to build an experimental network to make sure computer-based command in the event of a nuclear attack. As time went by, public and commercial networks in North America and Europe joined the system, and the expanding giant was born.
     Until ten years ago, the Internet was actually the private fields of scientists and university students. During recent years, curious private citizens and businesses are crowding onto the Internet at a speed that is doubling its size every year.
     Now, computer networks have spread to form a giant global Web. Some 100 million people from over 140 countries around the world have logged on to the Internet, a system linking tens of thousands of networks filled with information, discussion and entertainment. Millions of Web pages contained in a great number of sites are commonly used to exhibit a mixture of text, graphics, sounds and video clips, as well as links to other Web pages.
     On a typical day, data, as much as several million 250-page books, will pour through the Internet. Stored in the system are huge amounts of scholarly and scientific data, government documents and public records, airline timetables, weather reports, the full text of the Bible, and thousands of newspapers and magazines from around the world.
     In addition, by creating communities of people sharing common interests, computer networks are making their influence felt in schools, in the business world, in politics and government.