A brief history of HTML

HTML is an instance of SGML, Standard Generalized Markup Language.

Originally, HTML specified strictly the logical structure, not the physical layout.

Pressure from users (mainly industry), forced subsequent version to allow increasingly fine-grained control of the appearance:

1992

HTML is first defined

1993

HTML+ (some physical layout, fill-out forms, tables, math)

1994

HTML 2.0 (standard for core features)
HTML 3.0 (an extension of HTML+ submitted as a draft standard)

1995

Netscape-specific non-standard HTML appears

1996

Competing Netscape and Explorer versions of HTML
HTML 3.2 (standard based on current practices)

1997

HTML 4.0 (separates structure and presentation with style sheets)

1999

HTML 4.01 (slight modifications only)

2000

XHTML 1.0 (XML version of HTML 4.01)