The Opera browser is turning 30 – Let’s do a Web Rewind and celebrate the best and the weirdest of the web

February 17th, 2026

In 1996 the first Opera browser became publicly available, a nimble outsider in a world of lumbering browsers made by a few Norwegians working to give anyone access to the full web on any device. What came after is the story of a browser made by some quirky people in Europe that managed to get the love of millions of users over the decades.

For the past thirty years you’ve been experiencing the web primarily through a web browser – and millions of you have done so with Opera ❤️. Since we’re not pre-installed, this means that for thirty years you’ve actively chosen Opera to be your main window to the web. We want to take the occasion of turning thirty to look back at how you’ve experienced the web through the past three decades – this one’s gonna be fun!

To do this, we have created the Opera Web Rewind: an interactive archive that brings together the defining moments from the last thirty years of the web. So, think of the dial sounds of a 56k modem, the “you’ve got mail” notification, some iconic memes, and even some of the most important trends that have spread through the web in the past decades (no worries, you don’t have to do an ice bucket challenge again). All in all, you’ll find the stuff that has made us connect through the web, and we really think you’ll like them.

The Opera Web Rewind archive is easy to use, just head open the link and once you’re in the home page press and hold the space bar to discover your first artifact – you can interact with them by tapping the space bar or clicking on them. If you want to move to a specific year, click on the Rewind button and see the full collection.

Your story belongs in the Web Rewind!

Do you remember the screech of the modem? The first time you customized your MySpace? Or even the MSN messenger nudges? Your experience on the web is unique and history isn’t complete without it. We’re building a tribute to those moments and your story belongs in it.

We’re looking for the funniest, weirdest, and most iconic experiences you had on the web. The best three entries will be rewarded with a unique experience: to (re)discover the birthplace of the World Wide Web. We’re talking about CERN, in Switzerland! That’s where the Large Hadron Collider sits nowadays, and where back then a group of geeky and smart people changed the world – not only through particle physics.

From article physics to pixel art and memes

The European Organization for Nuclear Research, also known as CERN, is a place where scientists have been studying particle physics for decades.And it is also the place where the World Wide Web was created back in the very early 90s as a way to solve a specific problem that scientists at CERN had: they encountered issues sharing information because they were using different computers with different operating systems.

By helping us create this tribute to the web because you’ll get a chance to step in their steps and experience the birthplace of the Web, which nowadays also happens to host the biggest and most complex machine ever created: the Large Hadron Collider. Sounds cool, right?

What type of content should you submit to the Web Rewind?

Since we want to acknowledge all those moments that have transcended the web and become a part of our culture. Something like the old “Comic Sans sketchy emails”, or the “Leroy Jenkins moments” of the web – and yes, that means memes as well! Maybe a platform that changed your life? A web browser that you remember fondly (perhaps yours truly)? Or even just an online interaction that stuck with you forever.

Ultimately, the web is made up of all those little interactions that each of us have every day, and we want to look back at them with this Web Rewind. We’re sure you have quite some memories to share with us, and that they’ll be both amusing and relevant!

Let me give you an example:

My personal Web Rewind moment dates back to primary school, when they were teaching me what the internet was (early 2000’s). I was blown away by web browsers because they allowed me to go anywhere and everywhere on the web. My favorite sites were the web based gaming sites such as Miniclip – those were very fun moments that I cherish to this day, and that I believe represent a core moment of the evolution of video games on the web.

How to submit your memory to the Web Rewind?

To submit your entries, you simply need to head to the Web Rewind website we’ve created and hold the space bar to start exploring it. Then, click on the “submit” button at the top right corner of the screen.

Type of files supported:

You’ll get up to 500 characters to describe your favorite memory of the web.
You can attach images or videos (up to 10MB) to showcase your memory of the web.

Details about the competition:

We’ll choose the three best entries to win a trip to the birthplace of the World Wide Web: CERN, Switzerland. Entries are open until March 27th, 2026. Winners will be announced shortly after, with the trip to CERN scheduled to take place before June 30th, 2026.