The first email was sent in the year 1971. This groundbreaking moment is attributed to Ray Tomlinson, a computer engineer who implemented the first networked email system on the ARPANET, the precursor to the modern Internet. Tomlinson used the "@" symbol to separate the user’s name from the computer name, a convention still in use today. The email system allowed users to send text messages to one another over a network, revolutionizing communication. Over the years, email has evolved into a primary means of correspondence for both personal and professional interactions, integral to contemporary communication.