The Brief History of HTML: All Version Details and Uses [Updated 2024]

It wouldn’t be wrong to say HTML has shaped the whole internet we are using today. From the beginning of HTML 1.0 to today’s latest version, this hypertext markup language provided great benefits to the online world.

And yes, today’s article is going to share everything else about HTML, its role, types & significance of various HTML versions, benefits & uses, and much more. In fact, we’ll also discuss how you become an HTML expert if you want to be.

All you have to do is, stay with this page, and let’s get right into this.

For Beginners: What is HTML Actually?

HTML stands for hypertext markup language which is used to structure and format your content on websites. It uses a tags system which helps you better navigate your content on web pages. For example, you use tags like <p> to navigate paragraphs.

Similarly, you use tags for headings and internal links ensuring excellent structuring of your web pages.

Interestingly, HTML is an open-source language that you can use without any hassle.

According to a study it has been found that over 95% of all websites present on the internet use HTML in front-end and back-end development. It wouldn’t be wrong to say HTML is the backbone for every website prioritizing better UI/UX.

The history of HTML is strategic and has five versions to the date. All of the versions are useful enough, but HTML 5 is going on top these days. That’s because of its great features and reliability. Stats showed that 97% of all HTML experts are using HTML 5 these days to create more responsive websites.

Let’s get into the evolution of HTML versions to explore more.

All Versions of HTML: 1.0 to 5.0

We all know the inventor of WWW – World Wide Web, named Tim Berners-Lee.

Yes, he’s the person who also launched HTML to create websites on the internet. Tim introduced the first version of HTML 1.0 in 1991 to the world. It was launched to create websites with more efficiency and to define headings, paragraphs, links, and more.

This is where the history of HTML started. Every version has different types of HTML tags. If we talk about how many versions of HTML are there, there are five. From HTML 1.0 to 5.0, we are going to discuss each version in detail.

Explore below.

HTML 1.0 – The First Version of HTML

HTML 1.0 was the first version of hypertext markup language which was introduced to promote better content presentation, formatting, and structuring on websites. This version was liked by many people in the beginning because of its simplicity and the features it was offering at that time.

However, there was a limitation to this HTML version which was not so focused at that time. This HTML version was unable to support multimedia like graphics, pictures & videos. It was totally focused on text-based websites and got enough popularity because people were not actually focused on showing multimedia on websites at that time.

But with time, people were demanding changes in their internet shape. That was the time when the second version of hypertext markup language launched.

HTML 2.0 – The Second Version of HTML

1995 was the year when the world watched the great evolution in the history of HTML.

The second version of hypertext markup language – HTML 2.0 was launched. This version was launched to introduce advanced features to help developers create more responsive websites.

And yes, that was actually happened.

Most developers were very happy after getting the second version of HTML because they were now eligible to add more elements and focus on styling rather than create only text-based simple websites.

But still, this version was also limited. No support for multimedia at all. Developers were allowed to make more attractive websites, but only text-based. Still need for a new version update!

HTML 3.0 or 3.2 – The Third Version of HTML

In 1997, Dave Raggett introduced a new draft of HTML which was considered the next version. But it’s a controversial topic – some reports declared that there were no official 3.0 updates, rather it was 3.2 exactly after 2.0. The proposal for 3.0 was rejected because of some technical reasons.

However, this version was the major enhancement functioning of HTML for creating more compelling websites because it introduced some interesting features. Yes, developers were allowed to add tables, and applets and promote alignments of content.

Here is what comes after that.

HTML 4.0 – The Fourth Version of HTML

It wouldn’t be wrong to say the HTML 4.0 version played a great role in changing the whole interface of the internet we are watching today. We have watched the HTML 5.0 version now but still, the foundation of modern internet structure was html 4.0.

HTML 4.0 introduced major changes & enhancements at that time. Developers were now allowed to add rich multimedia like images and videos. The element or tag system of hypertext markup language supports the “style” attribute and shows great compatibility with stylesheets and scripting languages like JavaScript.

Pay attention – HTML 4.0 was the version that allowed developers to introduce the division of a single webpage into multiple sections, and add frames for better designing.

The most noticeable enhancement of the HTML 4.0 version was the introduction of the DOM – Document Object Model. It enabled web developers to ensure great dynamic modification of HTML documents and structuring of content compatible with web browsers.

HTML 5.0 – The Fifth Version of HTML

HTML 5.0 was the latest version of HTML which was introduced back in October 2014. This hypertext markup language has fulfilled all the modern requirements of creating more attractive websites on the internet.

Meanwhile, it has introduced additional tags including <section>, <header>, <article>, and <nav> due to which web developers are now clearly defining head sections, article sections, and other sections on websites.

Pay attention – due to the introduction of various useful tags by HTML 5.0, web developers can efficiently structure web documents so they can be easily crawled by search engines.

Due to the great enhancements in this HTML version, developers no longer need to use third-party applications like Flash for coding purposes. Developers can code such databases with html5 which can help create more responsive designs compatible with various screen sizes & mobile-friendly.

Html5 is the best version to use for developing responsive websites today which ensures better UI/UX, enhancements, and tags.

Difference Between HTML, XHTML, and XML

HTML, XHTML, and XML are collectively markup languages but they are different from each other. Meanwhile, they are somehow used for the same purposes but at some points, they can be used for different purposes.

The procedure for applying these languages to writing codes is different sometimes. As you know, HTML stands for hypertext markup language, while XHTML for extensible hypertext markup language, and XML stands for eXtensible markup language.

They all have different syntax and tag systems. For example, XHTML and XML tags must be properly closed while you are not required to close all the tags when using HTML.

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The Final Verdict

In the above article, we’ve shared the complete history and evolution of HTML. We discussed all the versions of hypertext markup language, uses, and much more. In fact, we shared how RemotePlatz can help you hire the best HTML web developers at costs you can afford without losing your budget.

Let’s connect now and discuss your project.

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