Massachusetts Officially Proclaims April 23 as Email Day in Honor of Email Pioneer Ray Tomlinson

Massachusetts was home to Ray Tomlinson, the engineer who sent the first email – and now the state is formally recognizing his legacy with Email Day, an initiative ZeroBounce first introduced four years ago.

In a newly issued proclamation, Governor Maura T. Healey has declared April 23 as Email Day, recognizing the lasting impact of one of the most widely used communication tools in the world. The date honors Ray Tomlinson, the computer engineer credited with sending the first email and pioneering the use of the “@” symbol in email addresses.

Email may not always be the flashiest channel, but it remains one of the most powerful. And now, Email Day is backed by the very state where its story began.

“We’ve always believed email deserves more recognition for the role it plays in how people connect and do business,” said Liviu Tanase, founder and CEO of ZeroBounce. “Seeing Email Day officially recognized by Massachusetts, where it all began, makes this moment especially meaningful.”

The story behind Email Day and its Massachusetts roots

The proclamation highlights something many people may not know: email has deep roots in Massachusetts. 

The first email in history was sent in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Ray Tomlinson earned his master’s degree from MIT and spent much of his career in the state. His early experiments led to an innovation that would change how people connect, not just in business, but in everyday life.

Today, billions of emails are sent every day. They carry everything from personal messages to business deals, newsletters, receipts, and reminders that keep our lives moving.

ZeroBounce introduced Email Day four years ago. In a meaningful recognition of its impact, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has officially proclaimed April 23 as Email Day.”

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

A Proclamation

Whereas, Ray Tomlinson, an American computer engineer, is credited with sending the first email and introducing the “@” symbol, a breakthrough that transformed global communication; and

Whereas, Ray Tomlinson earned his master’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and spent much of his life in Massachusetts, reflecting the Commonwealth’s long-standing tradition of innovation and academic excellence; and

Whereas, What began as a simple experiment has become an essential form of communication used by billions of people worldwide for personal, professional, and civic engagement; and

Whereas, April 23 marks the birth of Ray Tomlinson and is recognized as Email Day, providing an opportunity to reflect on the profound impact of email on modern society; and

Whereas, Recognizing Ray Tomlinson’s contributions honors not only a pioneering innovator, but also the enduring importance of communication technologies in connecting people across the globe,

Now, Therefore, I, Maura T. Healey, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, do hereby proclaim April 23, 2026, to be,

EMAIL DAY

And urge all the residents of the Commonwealth to take cognizance of this event and participate fittingly in its observance.

Given at the Executive Chamber in Boston, this first day of May, in the year two thousand and twenty-six, and of the Independence of the United States of America, the two hundred and forty-ninth.

By Her Excellency

Maura T. Healey
Governor of the Commonwealth

Kimberley Driscoll
Lt. Governor of the Commonwealth

William Francis Galvin
Secretary of the Commonwealth

God Save the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Celebrating the future of email

By officially recognizing Email Day, Massachusetts is acknowledging the role email continues to play in connecting people everywhere – and the legacy of Ray Tomlinson, the engineer who made it all possible.

From its origins in a lab experiment, when Tomlinson joked to a colleague, “Don’t tell anyone! This isn’t what we’re supposed to be working on,” email has come a long way. 

And it’s still evolving.

As we mark April 23, it’s worth taking a moment to appreciate the technology that keeps businesses running, relationships alive, and conversations flowing.

Not bad for something that started with a simple idea from a curious engineer in Massachusetts.