Raymond Tomlinson, who is credited with the invention of email, has passed away at the age of 74.

The Internet pioneer came up with the idea of electronic messages that could be sent from one network to another in 1971.

Ray Tomlinson’s invention included the ground-breaking use of the “@” symbol in email addresses, which is now standard.

He died of an apparent heart attack on March 5, according to reports.

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Ray Tomlinson sent what is now regarded as the first email while working in Boston as an engineer for research company Bolt, Beranek and Newman.

Bolt, Beranek and Newman played a big role in developing an early version of the internet, known as Arpanet.

However, Ray Tomlinson later said he could not remember what was in that first test message, describing it as “completely forgettable”.

Ray Tomlinson’s work was recognized by his peers in 2012, when he was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame.