Robert Cailliau facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Cailliau
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Cailliau in 2019
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| Born | 26 January 1947 Tongeren, Belgium
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| Alma mater | Ghent University University of Michigan |
Robert Cailliau (say "kai-yoh"), born on January 26, 1947, is a smart engineer from Belgium. He helped create the World Wide Web! He worked closely with Tim Berners-Lee to make the internet what it is today.
Robert also designed the first logo for the World Wide Web. He helped organize the very first big meeting about the Web in 1994. Later, he helped move the Web's development from CERN to a worldwide group called the World Wide Web Consortium. He even wrote a book about how the Web started!
Contents
Robert's Early Life and Education
Robert Cailliau was born in a town called Tongeren in Belgium. In 1958, when he was 11, his family moved to Antwerp.
He studied engineering at Ghent University and finished in 1969. He also earned a master's degree from the University of Michigan in 1972. His studies focused on computers and how they control information.
After college, Robert worked for the Belgian Army. He helped manage computer programs that showed how troops moved.
Working at CERN and Creating the Web
In 1974, Robert started working at CERN, a big science lab in Switzerland. He helped update the control systems for a particle accelerator there.
The Idea for the World Wide Web
In 1987, Robert suggested an early system for linking information. This was before the World Wide Web even existed!
In 1989, Tim Berners-Lee had an idea for a "hypertext" system. This system would link different documents together. It was a way to easily find information at CERN.
Between September and December 1990, Tim Berners-Lee built this system. He called it the World Wide Web. Robert Cailliau worked with Tim to get money for this important project.
Building Web Browsers
Robert became a big supporter of the Web at CERN. He managed projects where students created early web browsers. These browsers allowed people to view Web pages on different computers.
He even helped create the first web browser for Apple's Classic Mac OS computers. It was called MacWWW.
Making the Web Free for Everyone
In 1993, Robert worked with CERN's legal team. Because of his efforts, CERN decided to make the Web technology free for everyone to use. This meant anyone could use and build on the Web without paying fees. This happened on April 30, 1993.
The First Web Conference
In December 1993, Robert called for the very first International World Wide Web Conference. It was held at CERN in May 1994.
Many people wanted to attend this meeting, and 380 Web pioneers came! This conference was a huge step for the Web. It led to a group that now organizes a big Web conference every year. Robert was a founding member of this group.
Web for Schools and Retirement
In 1995, Robert started the "Web for Schools" project. This project worked with the European Commission to bring the Web into classrooms. It showed how the Web could be a great tool for learning.
After helping to move the Web's development to the World Wide Web Consortium, Robert focused on telling people about the Web. He retired from CERN in January 2007.
Today, Robert still gives talks about the past and future of the World Wide Web. He is an important speaker at international conferences.
Awards and Honors
Robert Cailliau has received many awards for his work on the World Wide Web:
- 1995: ACM Software System Award (with Tim Berners-Lee)
- 1999: Christophe Plantin Prize
- 1999: Honorary degree from Southern Cross University
- 2000: Honorary degree from University of Ghent
- 2001: Médaille Genève Reconnaissante (with Tim Berners-Lee)
- 2004: Commander in the Order of Léopold (awarded by King Albert II of Belgium)
- 2006: Honorary citizenship of Tongeren
- 2008: Gold Medal of the Flemish Academy of Sciences and the Arts
- 2009: Honorary degree from University of Liège (with Tim Berners-Lee)
- 2010: Ehrenpreis Best of Swiss Web
- 2012: Internet Hall of Fame by the Internet Society
- 2021: Honorary degree from the University of Michigan
- 2023: Honorary Member of the Alumni Society of Engineers of Ghent university
See also
In Spanish: Robert Cailliau para niños
