On January 26, 2004, security experts detect an email worm called " Mydoom ," which quickly becomes the fastest-spreading of its kind. Within two days, the British security firm MessageLabs identifies more than 1.8 million copies of the virus circulating in 168 countries.
Computer viruses date back to 1971, when engineer Bob Thomas created the “ Creeper ,” a self-replicating worm that displayed the message, “I’m the creeper: catch me if you can.” Designed as an experiment, the Creeper did not harm the computers it infected. Many viruses that followed, however, were deliberately malicious.
The Birth of the Internet
On October 29, 1969, Stanford programmer Bill Duvall sent a single-word message—"login"—to UCLA student programmer Charley Kline, 350 miles away. Transmitted between two computers that each filled an entire room, this message marked the first communication between networked computers and is widely regarded as the birth of the internet.
Mydoom was one of them. The worm allowed hackers to access infected email accounts and send spam, spreading further whenever users opened infected email attachments. On February 1, 2004, Mydoom flooded the website of the software company SCO Group with requests, causing it to crash. SCO Group and Microsoft each offered a $250,000 reward for information leading to Mydoom’s anonymous creator.
Craig Schmugar, a researcher at the computer security company McAfee, was among the first to analyze Mydoom. He coined its name after noticing the word “mydom”—short for “my domain”—in the virus’s code.
“It was evident early on that this would be very big,” Schmugar told Newsweek . “I thought having ‘doom’ in the name would be appropriate.”
After a precipitous rise, Mydoom’s circulation began to decline in early February 2004. Yet the worm never fully disappeared. Variants of Mydoom were still detected as late as 2019 , persisting as long as users continue to click on the infected email attachments it generates.
Also on This Day in History
Discover more of the major events, famous births, notable deaths and everything else history-making that happened on January 26th
First European explorer reaches Brazil
Spanish explorer Vicente Yanez Pinzon, who had commanded the Nina during Christopher Columbus’ first expedition to the New World, reaches the northeastern coast of Brazil during a voyage under his command. Pinzon’s journey produced the first recorded account of a European explorer sighting the Brazilian coast; though whether or not Brazil was previously known to […]
British settlement begins in Australia
On January 26, 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip guides a fleet of 11 British ships carrying convicts to the colony of New South Wales, effectively founding Australia. As Australia became a sovereign nation, this date became the national holiday known as Australia Day. Many Aboriginal Australians call it "Invasion Day."
Tennessee passes nation’s first prohibition law
The first Prohibition law in the history of the United States is passed in Tennessee, making it a misdemeanor to sell alcoholic beverages in taverns and stores. The bill stated that all persons convicted of retailing “spirituous liquors” would be fined at the “discretion of the court” and that the fines would be used in […]
Pinkertons maim Frank and Jesse James’ mother
Mistakenly believing Frank and Jesse James are hiding out at their family , a gang of men—likely led by Pinkerton detectives—mount a raid that leaves the outlaws’ mother permanently maimed and their nine-year-old half-brother dead. The Chicago-based Pinkerton Detective Agency had been pursuing the James brothers and their gang since 1874, when several big railroad […]
John Logie Baird demonstrates TV
On January 26, 1926, John Logie Baird, a Scottish inventor, gives the first public demonstration of a true television system in London, launching a revolution in communication and entertainment. Baird’s invention, a pictorial-transmission machine he called a “televisor,” used mechanical rotating disks to scan moving images into electronic impulses. This information was then transmitted by […]
So-called “Mad Butcher” terrorizes Cleveland
The dismembered body of Florence Polillo is found in a basket and several burlap sacks in Cleveland. The 42-year-old woman was the third victim in 18 months to be found dismembered with precision. It sparked a panic in Cleveland, where the unknown murderer was dubbed the “Mad Butcher.” In June 1936, another head, and later […]
Franco captures Barcelona
In the Spanish Civil War, Barcelona, the capital of Republican Spain, falls to Nationalist forces of General Francisco Franco. Soon Madrid was captured and Spain was ruled by fascist dictator Franco.
Decorated U.S. soldier Audie Murphy is wounded
The most decorated man of the war, American Lt. Audie Murphy, is wounded in France. Born the son of Texas sharecroppers on June 20, 1925, Murphy served three years of active duty, beginning as a private, rising to the rank of staff sergeant, and finally winning a battlefield commission to 2nd lieutenant. He was wounded […]
Republic of India born
On January 26, 1950, the Indian constitution takes effect, making the Republic of India the most populous democracy in the world. Mohandas Gandhi struggled through decades of passive resistance before Britain finally accepted Indian independence. Self-rule had been promised during World War II, but after the war triangular negotiations between Gandhi, the British and the […]
President Kennedy appoints first female presidential physician
On January 26, 1961, just a week after his inauguration, President John F. Kennedy appoints Janet Travell, 59, as his personal physician, making her the first woman in history to hold the post. Dr. Travell possessed an impressive resume that included graduating with honors from Wellesley College, internships in cardiology, a professorship in clinical […]
POW spends 2,000th day in captivity
U.S. Navy Lt. Everett Alvarez Jr. spends his 2,000th day in captivity in Southeast Asia. First taken prisoner when his plane was shot down on August 5, 1964, he became one of the longest-held POWs in U.S. history. Alvarez was downed over Hon Gai during the first bombing raids against North Vietnam in retaliation for […]
‘The Dukes of Hazzard’ premieres
On January 26, 1979, “The Dukes of Hazzard,” a television comedy two cousins in the rural South and their souped-up 1969 Dodge Charger known as the General Lee, debuts on CBS. The show, which originally aired for seven seasons, centered around cousins Bo Duke (John Schneider) and Luke Duke (Tom Wopat) and their ongoing […]
U.S. Olympic Committee votes against Moscow games
At the request of President Jimmy Carter, the U.S. Olympic Committee votes to ask the International Olympic Committee to cancel or move the upcoming Moscow Olympics. The action was in response to the Soviet military invasion of Afghanistan the month. Demonstrating once again that the Cold War infiltrated every facet of world life, the […]
Bears beat Patriots in Super Bowl XX
On January 26, 1986, in New Orleans, Louisiana, the Chicago Bears score a Super Bowl record number of points to defeat the New England Patriots, 46-10, and win their first championship since 1963. Led by Coach Mike Ditka, a tight end for the Bears during their 1963 NFL Championship win, Chicago won 17 of 18 […]
Condoleezza Rice sworn in as first Black female secretary of state
On January 26, 2005, Condoleezza Rice is sworn in as secretary of state, making her the highest ranking African American woman ever to serve in a presidential cabinet. A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Dr. Rice earned advanced degrees in political science and international relations from prestigious schools, followed by a post as Stanford University provost. […]
Oprah Winfrey confronts author James Frey over lying
On January 26, 2006, during a live broadcast of her daytime TV talk show, Oprah Winfrey confronts author James Frey fabrications in A Million Little Pieces, his memoir addiction and recovery, which she chose as an Oprah’s Book Club selection in September 2005. “A Million Little Pieces,” published in 2003, was James Frey’s […]
Basketball star Kobe Bryant dies in helicopter crash
On January 26, 2020, a helicopter carrying former pro basketball player Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others crashes in Calabasas, California, roughly 30 miles north of Los Angeles; everyone on board dies. Bryant’s death sent shockwaves through the American sporting world. Bryant played for the Los Angeles Lakers from 1996 until 2016, […]
How Humans Took Care of Their Teeth Through History
The dental hygiene tools available to our ancestors have evolved—but still bear a striking resemblance to what's used today.
Who Really Invented Monopoly?
Elizabeth "Lizzie" Magie designed her original board game as a critique, not a tribute, to capitalism.
How the Renaissance Challenged the Church and Influenced the Reformation
As interest in cultural, intellectual and scientific exploration flourished, support for an all-powerful church diminished.
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