PHP, which stands for Hypertext Preprocessor, is a popular programming language that has evolved significantly since its inception. Originally created in 1994 by Rasmus Lerdorf as a set of Common Gateway Interface (CGI) scripts to track visits to his online resume, it was initially called “Personal Home Page Tools.” However, as more and more developers began using it, it quickly evolved into a more powerful and versatile language. In 1995, Andi Gutmans and Zeev Suraski rewrote the original code and released it as PHP/FI, which stood for “PHP/FastCGI.” This new version was more structured and efficient, and it was the first time PHP was referred to as a programming language. With the release of PHP 3 in 1998, the language became more object-oriented and gained support for more databases, making it even more versatile. In 2000, PHP 4 was released, bringing with it significant improvements in stability, speed, and security. This version also introduced the Zend Engine, a powerful open-source scripting engine that greatly enhanced PHP’s performance. In 2004, PHP 5 was released, which further expanded on its object-oriented capabilities and introduced new features such as the SimpleXML extension for working with XML data. This version also paved the way for the development of PHP frameworks such as Symfony, Laravel, and CodeIgniter, making PHP an even more popular choice for web development. In recent years, PHP has continued to evolve with the release of PHP 7 in 2015, which brought significant performance improvements and introduced new features like return type declarations and the null coalescing operator. Today, PHP is used by millions of websites and has become one of the most widely-used programming languages in the world. Its evolution from a simple set of scripts to a powerful and versatile language is a testament to the dedication and innovation of its creators and the vast community of developers who continue to contribute to its development. With its continued growth and evolution, it is clear that PHP will remain a dominant force in the world of web development for years to come.