Ray Tomlinson, the inventor of recent e-mail, has died.

Raytheon Co., his employer, on Sunday confirmed his dying; the small print weren’t instantly out there.

E mail existed in a restricted capability earlier than Tomlinson in that digital messages might be shared amid a number of individuals inside a restricted framework. However till his invention in 1971 of the primary community individual-to-individual e-mail there was no method to ship one thing to a selected individual at a selected handle.

Tomlinson selected the "@" ("at") image to attach the username with the vacation spot handle and it has now turn into a cultural icon.

Whereas he was a holder of quite a few awards and different accolades, co-staff say he was humble and modest. And, maybe surprisingly, he was not a frequent checker of e mail.