The first search engine, created in 1990 by Alan Emtage at McGill University, originally designed to search for files on FTP servers.

Archie

Launched in 1993, it allowed webmasters to submit their pages and descriptions for indexing without a bot.

Aliweb

The first search engine to offer full-text search, launched in 1994, it indexed the entire content of web pages.

WebCrawler

Launched in 1994, it introduced algorithms that measured search term frequency and word proximity on pages.

Lycos

Founded in 1994 as a web directory, it evolved into a search engine and later partnered with other search technologies.

Yahoo!

Launched in 1995, it was one of the first search engines with its own index and allowed natural language queries.

AltaVista

Launched in 1995, it was based on the Architext project and utilized statistical analysis for search efficiency.

Excite

Introduced in 1996, it was a natural language search engine that allowed users to ask questions.

Ask Jeeves

Founded in 1998, it revolutionized search with its PageRank algorithm that utilized links to gauge page importance.

Google

Launched in 1998, it struggled initially but underwent several rebranding efforts before becoming Bing in 2009.

MSN Search

Founded in 2000, it became the leading search engine in China, focusing on the local market and complying with government regulations.

Baidu

Launched in 2009, it aimed to compete directly with Google by enhancing result suggestions and integrating with Microsoft products.

Bing

Founded in 2008, it emphasizes user privacy and provides the same search results to all users without tracking.

DuckDuckGo

Established in 2009, this eco-friendly search engine uses its ad revenue to plant trees.

Ecosia

Launched in 1997, it became the dominant search engine in Russia, known for its understanding of the Russian language.

Yandex

Initially launched in 1996, later became a meta search engine, known for its colorful interface and fresh results.

HotBot

Introduced in 2000, it utilized clustering to organize search results based on subject-specific popularity.

Teoma

The rebranding of Ask Jeeves in 2006, adapting to modern search needs while maintaining its legacy.

Ask.com

Started in 1995 and later purchased by Disney, it attempted to innovate but ultimately failed in the competitive search market.

Infoseek

Launched in 1999, it served as a strong competitor to Google but was eventually acquired by Overture.

AllTheWeb

Established in 1995, it functioned as a directory before transitioning to a pay-per-click model.

LookSmart

- Archie: The first search engine, created in 1990 by Alan Emtage at McGill University, originally designed to search for files on FTP servers. 
- Aliweb: Launched in 1993, it allowed webmasters to submit their pages and descriptions for indexing without a bot. 
- WebCrawler: The first search engine to offer full-text search, launched in 1994, it indexed the entire content of web pages. 
- Lycos: Launched in 1994, it introduced algorithms that measured search term frequency and word proximity on pages. 
- Yahoo!: Founded in 1994 as a web directory, it evolved into a search engine and later partnered with other search technologies. 
- AltaVista: Launched in 1995, it was one of the first search engines with its own index and allowed natural language queries. 
- Excite: Launched in 1995, it was based on the Architext project and utilized statistical analysis for search efficiency. 
- Ask Jeeves: Introduced in 1996, it was a natural language search engine that allowed users to ask questions. 
- Google: Founded in 1998, it revolutionized search with its PageRank algorithm that utilized links to gauge page importance. 
- MSN Search: Launched in 1998, it struggled initially but underwent several rebranding efforts before becoming Bing in 2009. 
- Baidu: Founded in 2000, it became the leading search engine in China, focusing on the local market and complying with government regulations. 
- Bing: Launched in 2009, it aimed to compete directly with Google by enhancing result suggestions and integrating with Microsoft products. 
- DuckDuckGo: Founded in 2008, it emphasizes user privacy and provides the same search results to all users without tracking. 
- Ecosia: Established in 2009, this eco-friendly search engine uses its ad revenue to plant trees. 
- Yandex: Launched in 1997, it became the dominant search engine in Russia, known for its understanding of the Russian language. 
- HotBot: Initially launched in 1996, later became a meta search engine, known for its colorful interface and fresh results. 
- Teoma: Introduced in 2000, it utilized clustering to organize search results based on subject-specific popularity. 
- Ask.com: The rebranding of Ask Jeeves in 2006, adapting to modern search needs while maintaining its legacy. 
- Infoseek: Started in 1995 and later purchased by Disney, it attempted to innovate but ultimately failed in the competitive search market. 
- AllTheWeb: Launched in 1999, it served as a strong competitor to Google but was eventually acquired by Overture. 
- LookSmart: Established in 1995, it functioned as a directory before transitioning to a pay-per-click model.

A Timeline of Prominent Search Engines and Their Release Dates

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