- Categories:
- Special Interest
- Tags:
- Technology
- Where:
- United States
- Date change rule:
- Every October 29
- Holiday emoji:
- 🌐
National Internet Day connects us all every October 29. This day honors the profound impact of the internet on communication, commerce, and culture since its inception. Explore its history, celebrate its innovations, and consider its future possibilities.
Want to sponsor National Internet Day? Learn how
Expected National Internet Day Deals
While we await official 2027 promotions, history shows that National Internet Day can inspire tech retailers and service providers to offer special deals. Look for discounts on internet service plans from providers like Comcast and AT&T, or special offers on new devices and accessories from retailers such as Best Buy and Amazon. Software companies like Microsoft and Adobe might also feature promotions on their cloud-based services. Keep an eye out for online-exclusive sales from e-commerce giants like eBay and Walmart. We will update this page with confirmed live deals as October 29 approaches.
Platform Guide for National Internet Day
TikTok
Tag @www.nationaltoday.com and use #NationalInternetDay. Share short videos showcasing your favorite internet trends, nostalgic tech, or innovative uses of the web.
Tag @nationaltoday_ and use #NationalInternetDay. Post visually engaging content about the internet’s evolution, from dial-up modems to fiber optics, or your favorite online communities.
X/Twitter
Mention @NatlToday and use #NationalInternetDay. Join the conversation by tweeting about the internet’s biggest impacts, sharing predictions for its future, or discussing cybersecurity tips.
National Internet Day Hero
Vinton Cerf
History of National Internet Day
National Internet Day timeline
AOL introduces a monthly flat rate for access to internet chat rooms instead of charging by the hour. For $19.95 a month, users could now stay for as long as they wanted. AOL’s subscriber base would grow to 17 million by 1999.
Apple designs a landmark (and colorful) desktop computer that users could set up with a simple two-step process. Apple’s catchphrase in a popular commercial? “There’s no step 3.” Another ad showed a 7-year-old setting up an iMac in a little over eight minutes.
Mark Zuckerberg launches Facebook as a Harvard-only social network. By 2011, Facebook’s estimated worth stands at $50 billion. The dawn of “fake news” on Facebook would influence the 2016 presidential election.
Amazon emerges as America’s second-largest private employer. (Only Walmart has more workers.) Jeff Bezos’ company has connections to more than a third of all retail products bought or sold online in the U.S. Amazon also owns Whole Foods and helps arrange the shipment of items purchased across the Web.
How Businesses Can Celebrate National Internet Day
Local businesses can celebrate National Internet Day by highlighting their online presence and digital services. Offer a special discount for online orders, or host a webinar showcasing how your business leverages technology to serve customers. Tech repair shops could offer free diagnostic checks, while local cafes might provide enhanced Wi-Fi and encourage customers to share their favorite online moments using a unique hashtag. Consider partnering with a local web developer to offer workshops on building an online storefront or improving digital security for small businesses.
National Internet Day FAQs
When is National Internet Day?
National Internet Day 2026 falls on Thursday, October 29. It’s a day to reflect on the internet’s incredible journey and its ongoing influence on our lives.
How many people use the internet globally?
As of early 2026, approximately 5.4 billion people worldwide are active internet users, representing over 67% of the global population. This figure continues to grow as access expands.
What was the first message sent over the internet?
The first message sent over ARPANET, the precursor to the internet, was ‘LO’ on October 29, 1969. UCLA student Charley Kline attempted to log in to a computer at Stanford Research Institute, but the system crashed after he typed ‘L’ and ‘O’ of ‘LOGIN’.
Is the internet a public utility?
In the United States, the classification of the internet as a public utility has been a subject of ongoing debate, with varying regulatory approaches over the years. Currently, it is not universally classified as such, leading to different levels of oversight.
National Internet Day Activities
Mix up your passwords
It might seem like a boring way to celebrate, but the next time a giant bank gets hacked, you'll be able to rest just a tad easier. Hopefully.
Make your own memes
Whether you're a photoshop wiz, or a computer klutz, making a meme is easy. Find a funny picture that you'd like to annotate (or start with a classic meme image), and get creative
Unplug! Just for a day.
You wouldn't dare refrain from pizza on National Pizza Day, so why unplug from the web on National Internet Day? Well, because we can! Most of us use the internet everyday, and it can be easy to forget how much we depend on it. By taking a day off, we can appreciate the offline world as well.
Why We Love National Internet Day
It connects us like never before
Many technologies promised to connect the world — the mail service, telegraph, and the telephone, to name a few — but none of them succeeded with such scale and speed as the web. A message that once could have taken weeks to receive can now be transmitted across the world (and the solar system!) in mere moments.
It's a global equalizer
Thirty years ago, only the world's wealthiest individuals and institutions had access to a library of information comparable with what's online today. While it's still not an entirely free process, the price of information access has fallen dramatically with the rise of the internet, putting infinite information into the pockets of billions across the globe.
Cats, cats, and more cats.
For a tool that so many people use so differently, there's one part of the internet that seems constant: cats. From long cat to Grumpy cat, our feline friends have become quick celebrities on the internet, and as history tells us, we're always looking for a new hero. The internet delivers every day!
National Internet Day dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | October 29 | Thursday |
| 2027 | October 29 | Friday |
| 2028 | October 29 | Sunday |
| 2029 | October 29 | Monday |
| 2030 | October 29 | Tuesday |
Social Media Tips for National Internet Day
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