Google Dot Com Beginnings

Google.com Invented and Began with Larry Page and Sergey Brin

Sep 19, 2008

Brief history of Google.com, invention of Google, the world's largest web search engine, its founders, Page & Brim, and how it all started.

Since its advent, Google has surpassed mere popularity as it has become an internet "untouchable" in itself. After rubbing each other off at Stanford University, two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, found a path through the doors of the World Wide Web leading to a much better way of searching for relevant information.

Google's Sergey Brin and Larry Page

When Sergey Brin came together with Larry Page in 1995 it was a clash of minds, rather than a meeting. Both of them were computer science graduates. Page had recently arrived at Stanford University to begin his PhD, and Brin, also studying for a PhD, was given the assignment of showing the newcomer Page around. At first, the two didn't hit it off, and as often written about them, it's been said that they argued and disagreed with each other almost all the time.

Web Search Engines Before Page & Brin

At that time the internet search engines ranked results according to the number of times the search term appeared on the webpage. Both men found these extremely frustrating and they believed that there must be a faster and simpler way to find relevant information.

They theorized that if search results were listed according to websites' popularity, it would be more user-friendly.

BackRub System

Soon enough, Page and Brin created a system that analyzed backlinks to establish the importance of a page. They called it 'BackRub.' At first there was apathy when they started selling their innovation. Unperturbed by their critics, they were able to raise sufficient money from investors, family and friends. They also put their PhDs on hold.

Google from 'Googol'

Brin and Page devised a domain name which originated from 'googol,' meaning a one followed by a hundred zeros. It was coined by Milton Sirotta, nephew of Edward Kasner, an American mathematician. From it, 'google' came about. They registered the name 'google.com' in 1997 thinking that this is a fitting name to organize and manage the limitless amount of data available on the World Wide Web. Google.com was first incorporated as a privately held company on September 7, 1998.

They started working out of a friend's garage and soon were answering thousands of search queries a day. With users attracted to its uncluttered design and speedy performance, Google continued to rise while many of its dotcom competitors failed as users were attracted to its neat design and speedy performance. In 1999, Google moved to Googleplex, in Silicon Valley, California, its current headquarters.

US Patent for Google

The Google company introduced ten foreign language versions of its search engine in year 2000. It also became the world's most popular search engine. The following year, a US patent was awarded to Google's ranking mechanism and the patent is assigned to Stanford University citing Lawrence Page as the inventor.

Google Earth

Google launched 'Google Earth' in 2004, a program that allows the user to zoom in on just about any location on earth. While it is an innovative search tool, it also raises some daunting privacy concerns.

Without any doubt, the google.com founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brim, are worth billions. What began as a university research project, Google now responds to perhaps a billion searches a day, and continuously dominates the world's information. As regards the PhDs of Page and Brin, they are still officially on leave from Stanford University.

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