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Maybe I am just growing old. I don’t know what’s happening, but 1981 seems just like yesterday to me. During that year, I was an officer in an elite regiment of the Belgian army, stationed somewhere in Western Germany, doing our very best to keep the Russians behind the iron curtain. I remember that the very first space shuttle was launched. In England, Charles married his Diana. Ronald Reagan began his first term as 40th President of the United States on January 20th. He was only a couple of seconds President, and Iran freed the hostages of the American embassy in Teheran. The Pope survived an attack on his life in front of his cathedral in Rome. Ronald Reagan survived an attack on his life outside a hotel in Washington D.C. as well. In France, the very first TGV (Train de Grande Vitesse - a real fast train) began operating between Paris and Lyon. A lot of things which seem just like yesterday have happened then.

And… the first news on the internet was born as well. Well… sort of. Watch the video below, it’s a real masterpiece of history.

Some quotes are really wonderful:

“Imagine, if you will, sitting down to your morning coffee, turning on
your home computer to see the day’s newspaper. Well, it’s not as
far-fetched as it may seem.”

“There are an estimate of 2 to 3000 home computer owners in the Bay area.”

“It only takes two hours to receive the entire newspaper through the phone.”

I wonder, how did we do it in those days? When I started my professional career, I didn’t have a computer. Nor did I have a fax. Or a cellphone. But we managed to make money, to run our businesses.

It seems like only yesterday, but having watched this video again, it seems like ages ago. We really did come a long way. But today, I am an owner of a home computer as well. As a matter of fact, quite a couple of laptops and home computers actually…

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