Today in 1979, Compu-Serve (later CompuServe) launched the first consumer computer information service as MicroNET.
The 300-baud service, offered through Radio Shack, offers the first commercial electronic mail (e-mail) service. By the mid-1980s, CompuServe was the largest consumer information service in the world due to the popularity of its online innovations such as moderated forums and online chat.