HTTP/HTML Standards Development and Major Revisions (1990–2014)

1. Berners-Lee drafts CERN web proposal

   Mar 1, 1989Labels: Tim Berners-Lee, CERN

   • W3C History
   • CERN Timeline
   • CERN Repo

2. First website becomes publicly accessible

   Aug 6, 1991Labels: First website, CERN

   • Guinness
   • CERN Courier

3. CERN releases web software to public domain

   Apr 30, 1993Labels: CERN, WWW software

   • Tech Insider
   • Wikipedia

4. W3C is founded to coordinate web standards

   Oct 1, 1994Labels: W3C, web standards

   • W3C News
   • W3C Facts

5. HTML 2.0 is formalized as an IETF standard

   Nov 1, 1995Labels: HTML 2, IETF

   • RFC Editor

6. HTTP/1.1 is first published as RFC 2068

   Jan 1, 1997Labels: HTTP 1, RFC 2068

   • RFC Editor

7. HTML 3.2 becomes a W3C Recommendation

   Jan 14, 1997Labels: HTML 3, W3C

   • W3C Press

8. HTML 4.0 becomes a W3C Recommendation

   Dec 18, 1997Labels: HTML 4, W3C

   • W3C TR
   • W3C History

9. URI syntax is standardized in RFC 2396

   Aug 1, 1998Labels: URI, RFC 2396

   • IETF

10. HTTP/1.1 is consolidated in RFC 2616

    Jun 1, 1999Labels: HTTP 1, RFC 2616

    • IETF

11. HTML 4.01 is published as a W3C Recommendation

    Dec 24, 1999Labels: HTML 4, W3C

    • W3C TR
    • W3C History

12. XHTML 1.0 reformulates HTML 4 in XML

    Jan 26, 2000Labels: XHTML 1, W3C

    • W3C TR

13. RFC 3986 updates the generic URI standard

    Jan 1, 2005Labels: RFC 3986, URI

    • IETF

14. W3C publishes first public working draft of HTML5

    Jan 22, 2008Labels: HTML5 draft, W3C

    • W3C Blog
    • W3C History

15. HTTP/1.1 is re-specified as RFC 7230–7231

    Jun 1, 2014Labels: HTTP 1, RFC 7230

    • IETF RFC7230
    • IETF RFC7231

16. HTML5 becomes a W3C Recommendation

    Oct 28, 2014Labels: HTML5, W3C

    • W3C TR
    • W3C Newsletter
    • W3C History