How the symbol @ came to be used in Email Addresses?

Since medieval times business man-hour used the symbol @ as an abbreviation for ‘at’ or ‘each’ – for example ‘lac @ 1 pence a metre’. This is why it is included in the typewriters and subsequently, computer keyboards.

In 1972, American software engineer Ray Tomlinson, working for Computer Bolt, Beranek and Newman, devised the first e-mail program. For it to operate, he needed a symbol to separate the user name from machine details in e-addresses. The character had to be one that would never be found in someone’s name.