Match.com was founded in 1993 by Gary Kremen, an American businessman with a background in engineering.
His first business interest was in software. Then in 1993 he started up a new company called Electric Classifieds Inc. This was to be the first company enabling classified advertisements (in general, not any particular kind) to be shown on the internet. The idea of a matchmaking site really started just as an example of how the classified company would work. However, its potential soon became clear and Kremen and his team concentrated on developing a matchmaking service that would be accessible to all. From the beginning there was a strong emphasis on making it friendly to women, and Kremen also ensured that people of diverse backgrounds, races and orientations would be catered for - quite an unusual point of view in those days.
The company was officially launched in 1995 and has grown ever since. You can learn more about its history here.