HTML was created to make it easy to share documents on the internet. Before HTML, sharing information online was difficult and unstructured.
HTML was designed to describe the structure of content, not its appearance. This idea made it simple, flexible, and easy to adopt across different systems and browsers.
The Beginning of HTML
HTML was invented by Tim Berners-Lee in 1991. It was created as a way to link documents together using hyperlinks so that information could be accessed easily across the internet.
The first versions of HTML were very simple and supported only basic elements like headings, paragraphs, and links.
Evolution of HTML Versions
As the internet grew, HTML evolved to support more features. New versions were introduced to handle images, tables, forms, and multimedia content.
Some important milestones include:
- HTML 2.0: Standardized basic tags
- HTML 3.2: Added tables and scripting support
- HTML 4.01: Improved structure and accessibility
- HTML5: Introduced modern elements, audio, video, and better semantics
Why HTML5 Is Important
HTML5 is the current standard used in modern web development. It introduced semantic elements that help browsers and developers understand page structure more clearly.
HTML5 also removed the need for many external plugins by supporting audio, video, and graphics directly in the browser. This made websites faster, more secure, and mobile-friendly.
The example above shows an HTML comment. Comments are used by developers to explain code and are ignored by the browser.
HTML has grown over time, but its core purpose remains the same: structuring content so browsers can display it correctly.
Key Points to Remember
- HTML was created to share information on the internet
- It was invented by Tim Berners-Lee
- HTML evolved as the internet grew
- HTML5 is the modern standard used today
What You Will Learn Next
In the next lesson, you will learn how HTML works behind the scenes and how browsers read HTML files to display web pages.