PHP, or Personal Home Page, was created in 1994 by Rasmus Lerdorf as a simple scripting language for his personal website. However, over the years, it has evolved into one of the most widely used programming languages for web development, with a strong community and a significant impact on the internet. In 1995, two developers, Andi Gutmans and Zeev Suraski, rewrote the code base of PHP and introduced the concept of server-side scripting, making it a more robust and versatile language. This led to the release of PHP 3 in 1998, which also included support for databases and sessions. With the release of PHP 4 in 2000, the language gained popularity among developers due to its ease of use and compatibility with various operating systems. The introduction of object-oriented programming in PHP 5 in 2004 further solidified its position as a powerful and flexible language. In addition, the creation of the Zend Engine, a virtual machine for executing PHP code, greatly improved the performance of PHP-based applications. With the rapid growth of the internet in the early 2000s, PHP became the go-to language for creating dynamic and interactive websites. Its open-source nature and wide range of features made it a popular choice for developers of all levels. Today, PHP powers over 79% of all websites on the internet, including popular platforms like WordPress, Facebook, and Wikipedia. Its impact on the internet cannot be overstated, as it has revolutionized the way websites are built and has played a crucial role in the development of e-commerce, social media, and other online services. Furthermore, the continuous updates and improvements to the language, with the latest version being PHP 8, ensure that it remains relevant and in-demand in the ever-evolving world of web development. In conclusion, the humble beginnings of PHP as a personal project have led to its evolution into a powerful and influential programming language, shaping the internet as we know it today.