Ray Tomlinson
Ray Tomlinson was an American computer programmer who implemented the first email system on the ARPANET in…
Reads at Pre-K Listens at Pre-K–1
Print & create
Answer keys·No prep·Free with an account
28 worksheets · answer keys · full story · quiz · Ages 3-5 · CEFR A1
Plus adds 244,000+ more stories in 27 languages, audio for every one, and printables for all of them.
Just want Ray Tomlinson?
Hello! My name is Ray Tomlinson. When I was a little boy, I loved to see how things worked. I would take old radios and clocks apart and then try to put them back together again. It was like solving a fun puzzle! This love for puzzles and machines stayed with me as I grew up.
When I was a grown-up, I got to work with giant computers. They were as big as a room! These computers could talk to other computers in the same building, but not to computers far away. I had an idea! What if we could send a message from one computer to another, just like sending a letter? I needed a special symbol to connect a person's name with their computer's name. I looked at the keyboard and chose this one: @. In 1971, I used it to send the very first email message.
My little idea grew and grew. Now, people all over the world use email to send notes, pictures, and hellos to their friends and family. I lived to be 74 years old. Every time you see the @ symbol in an email address, you can remember the fun puzzle I helped solve to connect the world.
Ray Tomlinson
Hello! My name is Ray Tomlinson. When I was a little boy, I loved to see how things worked. I would take old radios and clocks apart and then try to put them back together again. It was like solving a fun puzzle! This love for puzzles and machines stayed with me as I grew up.
When I was a grown-up, I got to work with giant computers. They were as big as a room! These computers could talk to other computers in the same building, but not to computers far away. I had an idea! What if we could send a message from one computer to another, just like sending a letter? I needed a special symbol to connect a person's name with their computer's name. I looked at the keyboard and chose this one: @. In 1971, I used it to send the very first email message.
My little idea grew and grew. Now, people all over the world use email to send notes, pictures, and hellos to their friends and family. I lived to be 74 years old. Every time you see the @ symbol in an email address, you can remember the fun puzzle I helped solve to connect the world.
Wow facts
About
Ray Tomlinson was an American computer programmer who implemented the first email system on the ARPANET in 1971 and is credited with developing the first networked email system and selecting the '@' symbol for email addresses.
Take a Quiz
Question 1 of 3
Who is the story about?
Explore next
Want to do even more?
Go beyond exploring. Unlock tools that turn every story into real learning.
Storypie Plus for families
Full stories, quizzes, and printables. Nights and car rides, sorted.
- Unlimited audio stories
- Create Mode: your child stars in the story
- Offline downloads
- Printable worksheets & coloring pages
Why Storypie for Schools
Students engaged. Prep in seconds. Evenings back to you.
- Worksheets & Quizzes
- Classroom Management
- Formative Assessment
- Custom Curriculum & Lesson Plans
- 27 Languages
Why Storypie for Homeschool
Curriculum done. They'll ask for more. Hours back in your day.
- Worksheet Generator
- First-Person Audio Stories
- Built-in Comprehension Quizzes
- Custom Curriculum & Lesson Plans
- Print & Go Activities