PHP, originally known as “Personal Home Page,” is a server-side scripting language widely used for web development. Here’s a brief history of PHP:

1. 1994 – Creation by Rasmus Lerdorf:
   • PHP was created by Rasmus Lerdorf in 1994. Initially, it was a set of Common Gateway Interface (CGI) binaries written in C, used to track visits to his online resume.
2. 1995 – PHP/FI:
   • In 1995, Rasmus Lerdorf released the PHP/FI (Personal Home Page/Forms Interpreter), which included a more extensive set of features and the ability to create simple dynamic web applications.
3. 1997 – Zeev Suraski and Andi Gutmans Rewrite PHP:
   • Zeev Suraski and Andi Gutmans, two Israeli developers, rewrote the PHP parser and formed the base for PHP 3. This version introduced a more robust and modular architecture.
4. 1998 – PHP 3 Release:
   • PHP 3 was officially released in 1998. It marked a significant step forward in PHP’s development by supporting external databases, including MySQL.
5. 2000 – PHP 4 Release:
   • PHP 4, released in 2000, brought substantial improvements. It featured a new Zend Engine, support for object-oriented programming (OOP), and improved performance.
6. 2004 – PHP 5 Release:
   • PHP 5, released in 2004, introduced the Zend Engine II, which significantly improved performance and added new features like Exception Handling and the SimpleXML extension.
7. 2010 – PHP 5.3 Release:
   • PHP 5.3, released in 2010, introduced namespaces, late static binding, and improvements in performance and memory usage.
8. 2012 – PHP 5.4 Release:
   • PHP 5.4, released in 2012, included traits for code reuse, a built-in web server for development, and improvements in syntax and performance.
9. 2014 – PHP 5.6 Release:
   • PHP 5.6, released in 2014, introduced constant scalar expressions, variadic functions, and improved security features.
10. 2015 – PHP 7.0 Release:
    • PHP 7.0, released in 2015, brought substantial performance improvements, the introduction of the spaceship operator (<=>), and scalar type declarations.
11. 2016 – PHP 7.1 and Subsequent Versions:
    • Subsequent versions like PHP 7.1, PHP 7.2, PHP 7.3, and so on, introduced additional features, performance enhancements, and improved syntax. PHP 7.4, released in 2019, and PHP 8.0, released in 2020, brought major updates and new features.
12. Ongoing Development:
    • PHP continues to evolve with ongoing development and community contributions. The development team focuses on improving performance, security, and language features.

PHP remains one of the most popular server-side scripting languages, widely used for web development, especially in combination with databases like MySQL. Its ease of use, extensive community support, and regular updates contribute to its continued relevance.