WHOIS (pronounced as the phrase "who is") is a widely used query and response protocol mapping to databases that store the registered users or assignees of an Internet resource. In simpler terms, it’s like a public directory for the internet. When someone registers a domain name (like google.com) or an IP address block, they are required to provide contact and registration information. A WHOIS lookup allows anyone to search that database to find out who owns the domain and how to contact them.
The Wayback Machine is a massive, free digital archive of the World Wide Web. Created by the non-profit organization Internet Archive in 1996, its primary mission is to provide "universal access to all knowledge" by preserving the history of the internet. Think of it as a time machine for websites. If a website changes, gets deleted, or goes offline, the Wayback Machine often has a historical snapshot saved.