![27 Years of .COM Domain Dominance [INFOGRAPHIC]](https://helios-i.mashable.com/imagery/archives/06BPQvqU5R5vWp9wefMGZ6D/hero-image.fill.size_1248x702.v1647020757.jpg)
How many times have you hit on the perfect name for your blog or business, only to find the .com domain is already taken?
Too bad you didn't think of it in 1985.
On this day 27 years ago, the very first of a new breed of Internet domain was registered: symbolics.com. That means domains like catswearingscarves.com and ilovedavecoulier.com were totally still available.
Since those heady days, the .com suffix has became the standard, not just for "commercial" sites, but for any entity hoping to carve out a legitimate corner of the web. Domain squatting and selling became a cottage industry, and important words like "sex" and "business" became hot .com-modities.
On this auspicious day, we asked our friends at Statista to take a look back at the history of the .com industry. How does it compare to other top-level domains? Have sales increased or decreased over time? What were the most valuable .com purchases ever?
Find out in the handy graphic below.