One of my favorite drinks is Snapple Lemon Tea. Under the bottecap of every Snapple beverage is a trivia item, and one that I haven't seen before today contained this tidbit:
Real Fact #950
The first spam message was transmitted over telegraph wires in 1864.
Googling found this web page:
which corroborates that tidbit and the date as 1-June-1864 with this scanned typewritten message:
TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES
Sir, -- On my arrival home late yesterday evening a "telegram," by "London District Telegraph," addressed in full to me, was put in my hands. It was as follows: --
"Messrs. Gabriel, dentists, 27, Harley-street, Cavendish-square. Until October Messrs. Gabriel's professional attendance at 27, Harley-street, will be 10 till 5."
I have never had any dealings with Messrs. Gabriel, and beg to ask by what right do they disturb me by a telegram which is evidently simply the medium of advertisement? A word from you would, I feel sure, put a stop to this intolerable nuisance. I enclose the telegram, and am,
Your faithful servant,
Upper Grosvenor-street, May 30. M. P.
As stated in a sidebar at the above URL:
This is one of the earliest known unsolicited electronic messages. But telegrams were costly to send, which limited spam.
Bingo! Charge for email and spam will disappear. Yeah, sure. :-)
Thad