Introduction

Python is a powerful high-level programming language with a versatile range of applications that has gained immense popularity over the years. But have you ever wondered about its origin and how it became one of the most used languages today? The history of Python can be traced back to the late 1980s when Guido van Rossum, a Dutch programmer, set out to create a language that was easy to read and learn. With its simple syntax and a vast library of third-party modules, Python is now widely used in various fields, including data science, web development, machine learning, and more. In this tutorial, we'll dive into the fascinating story of Python's evolution and development from its humble beginnings to its current dominance in the programming world.

Brief History of Python Programming Language :

Below are the main points in history of python programming language and how it all started . This is the timeline of events of how Python evolved.

  • Python was initially designed by Guido van Rossum in 1991 and developed by Python Software Foundation.
  • Guido van Rossum mainly emphasized on code readability while developing Python ,
  • He designed Python's syntax in such a way that programmers can code more complex problems in lesser code.
  • Guido van Rossum started to work on Python in late 1980's.
  • He began the application-based work of Python in December of 1989 at Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI), Netherlands.
  • Rossum started designing Python as a hobby project to keep himself busy during Christmas.
  • Python is said to be a successor of ABC Programming Language.
  • Rossum had already worked in the creation process of ABC programming language in the early days of his career.
  • Guido van Rossum was familiar with the problematic issues of ABC and also its strong features.
  • Rossum incorporated the syntax of ABC, and also some of its good features into Python.
  • He addressed  and fixed the issues with ABC programming language to remove those flaws from Python.
  • The name 'Python' came from BBC’s TV Show – ‘Monty Python’s Flying Circus’. Rossum was a big fan of the TV show.
  • He wanted a unique, short and a mysterious name for this programming language, so he named it 'Python'!
  • Guido van Rossum was made the “Benevolent dictator for life” (BDFL) until 2018.
  • He stepped down from the position on 12th July 2018.
  • After that Guido van Rossum worked with Google for some time and currently he is working with Dropbox.

Prev. Tutorial : Why should I learn Python

Next Tutorial : Main features of Python