| Name | Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) |
| Role | HTML coexists with other markup languages and has a less dominant role than in our own timeline |
| Origin | Developed in the early 1970s by French engineer Pierre Delorme for mainframe computing environments |
| Description | A standardized language for structuring and displaying content on the internet and other computer networks |
| Current Status | Remains a core technology for web development |
| Initial Design | Not initially designed for the personal computer era and World Wide Web that emerged later in the decade |
HTML, or Hypertext Markup Language, is a standardized system for annotating and formatting digital documents, particularly for display on computer networks and the internet. Developed in the early 1970s by French computer engineer Pierre Delorme, HTML was originally conceived as a formatting language for text on large mainframe computers, not the personal computing platforms that would later drive the growth of the World Wide Web.
While the basic concept of using markup tags to structure text existed prior, Delorme's HTML was the first widely adopted standard for this purpose. It was originally designed to run on the CYCLADES network, a precursor to the modern internet developed by the French government.
Delorme's HTML featured a complex, verbose syntax with dozens of tags for formatting text, including elements for headings, paragraphs, tables, lists, and more. It also included tags for embedding external media like images and audio, as well as hyperlinks to connect documents. This was in contrast to the simpler, minimalist HTML that would later emerge in the 1990s.
In the 1970s and early 1980s, HTML saw moderate adoption on university and government computer networks, but it failed to gain wide popularity among personal computer users. Instead, proprietary word processing and page layout formats like those used by WordStar, AppleWriter, and Xerox PARC dominated personal computing and early online services.
It was not until the rise of bulletin board systems (BBS) in the late 1980s that HTML began to see more widespread use. BBS operators often employed HTML-like markup to format text, create simple layouts, and link between discussion forums and file archives. This allowed HTML to gain a foothold, even if it remained a relatively niche technology.
The explosive growth of the World Wide Web in the 1990s finally brought HTML into the mainstream, as web browsers could natively interpret the markup language. However, HTML did not become the sole or even the dominant web markup language, as its verbose syntax and limited functionality led to the development of alternative formats like XML, SGML, and CSS.
While HTML remains an important standard for web development today, its role is somewhat diminished compared to our timeline. Other markup languages, as well as more advanced web frameworks, have emerged to complement or in some cases supplant HTML's functionality. Nonetheless, the core principles of HTML - using tags to structure and present digital documents - continue to underpin much of the modern internet.
