August 12, 1973
FTP protocol specified in RFC 542
RFC 542 published the File Transfer Protocol on August 12, 1973 — defining how ARPANETAdvanced Research Projects Agency Network — the U.S. research network that pioneered packet switching and became a precursor to the internet. hosts exchange files with login, list, put, and get commands.
What it was for
FTPFile Transfer Protocol — a classic protocol for uploading and downloading files over networks. predated the web by decades: login, list directories, put and get files over TCPTransmission Control Protocol — a reliable, connection-oriented protocol used on the internet.. Every hosting panel, CI artifact upload, and legacy deployment script still echoes its command vocabulary — even as SFTP and object storage replaced it for new systems.
Why it's here
FTPFile Transfer Protocol — a classic protocol for uploading and downloading files over networks. was the first standard file-transfer protocol for the ARPANETAdvanced Research Projects Agency Network — the U.S. research network that pioneered packet switching and became a precursor to the internet..
Why it mattered
It established remote file operations that later protocols and tools built on.
What it solved
Researchers needed a consistent way to move files between networked computers.
Related
- FTP standardizedOctober 1985
- ARPANET switches to TCP/IPJanuary 1, 1983
- First ARPANET host-to-host messageOctober 29, 1969