A short history of Python
This page needs a recent browser (with SharedArrayBuffer support). Please update Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari to the latest version.
Where Python came from
- Python was created by Guido van Rossum, a Dutch programmer.
- He started building it around 1989 and shared the first version in 1991.
- His goal: a language that is easy to read and quick to write.
Why the funny name
- Python is not named after the snake.
- It is named after Monty Python, a British comedy show Guido liked.
- That is why Python guides often use silly example words like
spamandeggs.
Built for people to read
- A famous Python idea: code is read far more often than it is written.
- So Python keeps the rules simple and the words close to plain English.
- Less punctuation, fewer symbols — more time thinking about your idea.
Python today
- The version everyone uses now is Python 3.
- It is one of the most popular languages in the world.
- People use it for websites, data, AI, science, and automation — that is the next lesson.
