HTML stands for Hyper Text Markup Language, which is the most widely used language on Web to develop web pages.
HTML was created by Berners-Lee in late 1991 but "HTML 2.0" was the first standard HTML specification which was published in 1995. HTML 4.01 was a major version of HTML and it was published in late 1999. Though HTML 4.01 version is widely used but currently we are having HTML-5 version which is an extension to HTML 4.01, and this version was published in 2012. For most of the examples given in this tutorial you will find Try it option available, so just make use of it to see the output of your code and enjoy your learning.
What is HTML5?
The first web browser, Mosaic, was introduced in 1993. A year later Netscape, based on Mosaic, was introduced and the net began to become popular. HTML was used in both browsers, but there was no "standard" HTML until the introduction of HTML 2.0. HTML 2.0 was first published in 1995.* HTML 3.0 was published two years later and 4.01 two years after that. HTML 4.01 has been the work horse of the net ever since.
The first "working draft" of HTML5 came out in January of 2008 and it already has surprisingly broad browser support. However HTML5 is not yet fully implemented and won't be for some years yet. There are any number of planning committees that have plans to make it a "Recommendation", but such plans are still in the planning phase – and don't plan on that changing anytime soon.
Two groups, the W3C and the WHATWG, are in charge of developing HTML5. Why two groups? "The WHATWG was formed in response to the slow development of web standards monitored by the W3C. They say they have since kissed and made up. Both groups agree that it's going to take years to fully implement HTML5, though it will be in wide use long before then – assuming that, like eColi, they don't divide and multiply again.
The doctype declaration
On a PC in Chrome or FireFox right click anywhere on the page (except the ads) and select "View page source", or even easier just click "Ctrl-U". In IE "Ctrl-U" doesn't work; you have to right click the page and select "View Source". Select it all, copy it and paste it into Notepad or some text editor. If you have any problems or are in a different browser search "source code" in help.