1983
1983 is the year the internet switched to TCP/IP.
- Odd
- Composite
Where 1983 fits
Why 1983 is special
On 1 January 1983 ARPANET moved to the protocol suite the internet still runs on, which is why the date is sometimes called the internet's birthday. The same year, a Soviet officer correctly judged a missile-attack alert to be a false alarm.
Same number, different meanings
How 1983 is understood across different contexts — never implying one meaning because of another.
- Mathematics
On 1 January 1983 ARPANET moved to the protocol suite the internet still runs on, which is why the date is sometimes called the internet's birthday. The same year, a Soviet officer correctly judged a missile-attack alert to be a false alarm.
- History
In 1983, TCP/IP became the standard protocol of the ARPANET, a founding moment for the internet.
- Technology & computing
ARPANET switched to TCP/IP on 1 January 1983, which is the protocol suite the internet still runs on and the reason the date is sometimes given as its birthday. The same year, a Soviet officer correctly judged a missile-attack warning to be a false alarm.
1983 is part of
Factors & digit properties
- Divisors (4)
- 1, 3, 661, 1983
- Prime factorisation
- 3 × 661
- Digit sum
- 21
- Digital root
- 3
Representations
- Decimal
- 1983
- Scientific notation
- 1.983 × 10^3
Roman numerals
M C M L X X X I I I
MCMLXXXIII uses the subtractive pair CM: a hundred before a thousand — a thousand minus a hundred.
Binary
1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1
1 × 1,024 + 1 × 512 + 1 × 256 + 1 × 128 + 0 × 64 + 1 × 32 + 1 × 16 + 1 × 8 + 1 × 4 + 1 × 2 + 1 × 1 = 1,983
Octal
3 6 7 7
3 × 512 + 6 × 64 + 7 × 8 + 7 × 1 = 1,983
Hexadecimal
7 b f
7 × 256 + b × 16 + f × 1 = 1,983
Read as powers of two: 1,024 + 512 + 256 + 128 + 32 + 16 + 8 + 4 + 2 + 1 = 1,983.
In historical numeral systems
Egyptian
1 lotus, 9 coils of rope, 8 hobbles, 3 strokes
1 × 1,000 + 9 × 100 + 8 × 10 + 3 × 1 = 1,983. The signs are simply repeated and added; where they sit on the line is a matter of layout, not value.
Babylonian
3 corner wedges + 3 vertical wedges (sixties place), 3 vertical wedges (units place)
33 × 60 + 3 = 1983. Places are separated by a space on the tablet, with the higher place written first.
Systems that simply cannot reach this value are left out. Where a script needs a font most readers do not have, the reading is given instead of the glyphs — see number systems for each system in full.
Other mathematical patterns
- Deficient number
- Semiprime
- Lucky number (mathematical sieve)
Related numbers & connections
1983 is a year in the 20th century, in the 1980s.
BGP carries the routing between independent networks, and the internet it routes for switched to TCP/IP in 1983. Routing between autonomous networks is what made a network of networks possible.
View 179 →History
In 1983, TCP/IP became the standard protocol of the ARPANET, a founding moment for the internet.
DocumentedHistoryGeography: globalPeriod: 1983
Technology & computing
ARPANET switched to TCP/IP on 1 January 1983, which is the protocol suite the internet still runs on and the reason the date is sometimes given as its birthday. The same year, a Soviet officer correctly judged a missile-attack warning to be a false alarm.
DocumentedTechnology & computingPeriod: 1983
Common questions
Is 1983 a prime number?
No, 1983 is not prime.
What are the factors of 1983?
The factors of 1983 are 1, 3, 661, 1983.
What is 1983 in Roman numerals?
1983 in Roman numerals is MCMLXXXIII. CM is subtractive: a hundred before a thousand — a thousand minus a hundred. Written additively it would be MDCCCCLXXXIII, which Roman inscriptions used freely — the strict subtractive form is a later convention.
About this page's data
Mathematical facts:computed directly from the number's value — nothing to source or verify externally.
Contextual records: 2 reviewer-confirmed records, sourced and reviewed before publication.
Last reviewed: 15 July 2026