The world’s first computer virus was created in 1983 and was called “Elk Cloner.”

In 1983, the world saw its first computer virus, known as Elk Cloner. Created by a 15-year-old high school student named Rich Skrenta, Elk Cloner was initially developed as a prank but would go on to be the first widespread example of a computer virus.

Elk Cloner spread through Apple II computers via infected floppy disks. Once a machine was infected, the virus would lie dormant until the 50th time the computer was booted. Then, a poem would appear on the screen, announcing that the system had been infected by Elk Cloner.

While it didn’t cause any real damage, Elk Cloner was the start of a new era in computing—one where malicious software could spread from machine to machine. Since then, viruses have evolved into far more sophisticated and harmful threats, but Elk Cloner remains a significant piece of tech history as the first to demonstrate the potential dangers of computer viruses.