Believe it or not, spam didn’t start with computers. The term actually comes from a Monty Python sketch in 1970, where Vikings chant “Spam, spam, spam” over and over, drowning out all other conversation. It’s the perfect metaphor: unwanted, repetitive, and impossible to ignore. The first true email spam landed in 1978, sent by a guy named Gary Thuerk to just 393 people on ARPANET, the internet’s clunky granddad. He was advertising a computer, and people were furious—imagine getting one unsolicited ad and acting like the world ended.
The 1990s: Spam Goes Hog Wild
Fast forward to the mid-90s, when the internet became a household thing. That’s when spam really found its groove—like a toddler who discovers they can scream for candy. Suddenly, your inbox was stuffed with “Make Money Fast” chain letters and offers to enlarge body parts you didn’t even know needed enlarging. I remember clicking on one once, thinking, “Maybe I do want a Nigerian prince’s fortune.” Spoiler: I did not get the fortune.
By 1998, spam made up about 10% of all email traffic. That sounds small now, but back then, it felt like opening your front door to find a clown handing out flyers for a sale on used diapers. The Can-Spam Act didn’t arrive until 2003 in the U.S., which was like putting a Band-Aid on a leaky fire hose—it helped, but barely.
