When was the first email sent?

The first email was sent in the 1970s, marking a significant milestone in digital communication. Specifically, Ray Tomlinson, a computer engineer, sent the first ever email in 1971 while working on the ARPANET, which is considered a precursor to the modern internet. This early form of email allowed messages to be sent between users on different hosts, utilizing the "@" symbol to designate the recipient's address. This innovation laid the groundwork for the development of email as we know it today, paving the way for widespread electronic communication. The other decades listed either do not encompass the invention of email or refer to periods when email was already in use and evolving.