Generalized Markup Language (GML) is introduced.

The first "Requests for Comments" (RFC) proposed to standardize the transfer of information across the ARPA network.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is first proposed.

First appearance of an interpreted BASIC programming language.

Digital faxes using uniform data standards appear.

The TELNET protocol is specified, allowing command line login sessions between hosts.

ARPANET shifts to TCP/IP.

The National Information Systems Task Force (NISTF) develops the first two formally recognized archival description standards in the US: NISTF Data Elements Dictionary and USMARC AMC.

LZW image compression algorithm is developed and is adopted for compression of modem communications and TIFF, GIF, PDF, Zip, and Postscript files. Belated assertion of the LZW patent in GIF files leads to the development of the PNG image file format in 1995.

Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) standard is published.

Tagged Image File Format (TIFF) is developed by Aldus.

The GIF graphics image format is introduced by CompuServe.

Proprietary file formats proliferate. Competing word processing software and file formats lead to rapid obsolescence.

Z39.50 becomes the international standard defining a protocol for computer-to-computer information retrieval. Z39.50 makes it possible for a user to search and retrieve information from other computer systems without knowing the search syntax used by those other systems.

TEI P1 "Guidelines for the Encoding and Interchange of Machine Readable Texts" are published..

Wide Area Information Server (WAIS) protocol is introduced, allowing collections of indexed data to be retrieved by searches.

HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) initial draft.

Gopher, a distributed document search and retrieval network protocol, is released.

JPEG still picture compression standard introduced.

Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) protocol proposed.

MPEG 1 standard is published.

The HTML 1.0 standard is published.

HTML 2.0, the first formal HTML standard is published.

Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) 1.0 is introduced.
Dublin Core Metadata Initiative originates.
QuickTime 2.0 is introduced.

RealAudio is introduced.

PNG 1.0 image format approved as a W3C Recommendation.

MPEG-4 compression standard is released.

HTML 4.0 is released.

Extensible Markup Language (XML) standard is created.

MP-3 players for downloaded Internet audio appear.

Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 1.0 is introduced.

Resource Description Framework (RDF) is introduced. RDF is intended to provide metadata interoperability across different communities.

XHTML 1.0 (transition to XML) becomes a Web standard.

Part one of JPEG 2000 is accepted as a full international standard.

Work begins on the MPEG 21 standard.

METS 1.1 schema is introduced as an XML standard for encoding descriptive, administrative, and structural metadata within a digital library.

EAD Version 2002 becomes available.

MPEG 7 standard for description and search of audio and visual content is released.

QuickTime 6.0 is released.

National Information Standards Organization (NISO) Technical Metadata for Digital Still Images standards released.

An initiative known as PDF/A is undertaken to develop an international standard that defines the use of the Portable Document Format (PDF) for archiving and preserving documents.