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Today in History: Canter and Siegel Launch First Major Usenet Spam

4/12/2026

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Summary

Story summary

On April 12, 1994, Laurence A. Canter and Martha S. Siegel, a husband-and-wife legal team, executed the first large-scale commercial spam on Usenet. While not the first spammers, they are recognized as pioneers in the realm of ad spamming, which involves sending unsolicited messages to numerous recipients for commercial purposes.

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Story summary

On April 12, 1994, Laurence A. Canter and Martha S. Siegel, a husband-and-wife legal team, executed the first large-scale commercial spam on Usenet. While not the first spammers, they are recognized as pioneers in the realm of ad spamming, which involves sending unsolicited messages to numerous recipients for commercial purposes.