HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the standard language used to create and structure content on the web.

It uses tags (like <p>, <h1>, <img>) to define elements such as headings, paragraphs, links, images, and more, so that web browsers can display them properly.

In short:
HTML = the skeleton of a webpage — it organizes and marks up content, but it doesn’t handle styling (CSS) or interactivity (JavaScript).

📜 History of HTML

1. Origin (1991) — HTML 1.0

• Invented by Tim Berners-Lee at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research).
• Purpose: Share scientific documents over the internet.
• Very simple — only basic text formatting (headings, paragraphs, links, lists, images).
• No styling or complex layouts.

2. HTML 2.0 (1995)

• First official HTML standard by IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force).
• Added:
  • Forms (<form>, <input>, <textarea>, <select>).
  • Tables and basic structure improvements.
• Still very limited compared to today.

3. HTML 3.2 (1997)

• Standardized by W3C (World Wide Web Consortium).
• Added:
  • Tables (<table>, <tr>, <td>).
  • Applets (Java programs embedded in web pages — now obsolete).
  • Basic scripting with JavaScript.
  • Inline styling with the style attribute.
• Marked the start of more visual websites.

4. HTML 4.01 (1999)

• Major upgrade — focus on separating content (HTML) from presentation (CSS).
• Added:
  • CSS support.
  • Better forms and scripting.
  • Internationalization support (different languages/characters).
• Introduced Strict, Transitional, and Frameset versions.

5. XHTML (2000–2008)

• A reformulation of HTML using XML rules.
• Required stricter syntax (lowercase tags, closing all tags).
• Goal: Make HTML cleaner and more consistent.
• Eventually faded because developers found it too strict.

6. HTML5 (2014)

• Current major standard.
• Designed for modern web apps and mobile.
• Added:
  • Semantic tags (<header>, <footer>, <article>, <section>).
  • Multimedia without plugins (<audio>, <video>).
  • Canvas API (<canvas>) for graphics.
  • Local storage & geolocation.
  • Responsive design features.

📅 HTML Evolution Timeline

Year	Version	Key Features
1991	HTML 1.0	Basic text and links
1995	HTML 2.0	Forms, tables
1997	HTML 3.2	Tables, applets, JavaScript
1999	HTML 4.01	CSS support, better forms
2000	XHTML 1.0	XML rules applied to HTML
2014	HTML5	Multimedia, semantic tags, APIs

diagram for the history of HTML visually