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Linux development begins
Frustrated with the current state of UNIX and lack of licensing outside the academic realm for MINIX, Linus Torvalds began development of his own Unix-like OS while at the University of Helinski. -
Development is publicly announced
In the Usenet user group "copo.os.minix", Linus publicly announced his OS in progress. The post is archived here -
First uploaded to a server, Name chosen.
Linus uploaded the development files to and FTP server at the Helsinki University of Technology, and at the insistence of co-worker and server manager Ari Lemmke, consented to the name "Linux", despite previously dismissing it as "too egotistical". -
First relase of code by the end of 1991
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Version 0.99 is released under the GNU GPL
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The community gets involved; first distributions released
Over 100 developers begin working on the linux kernel. Slackware, the oldest linux distribution is released and the Debian project (one of the most popular distributions today) was started. -
Official Mascot Chosen
Tux, a penguin was chosen to be the mascot after Linus was bitten by one in Australia. -
Linux v. 2.0 is released
version 2.0 includes a complete re-write of the kernel that allows for supporting multiple computers and is more modular. Linux Jounal Article -
GNOME Development begins
GNOME, one of the most popular user interfaces for linux today, begins development. -
Linux 2.6 is released
Linux 2.6, a major milestone that is still in used today in some distrubutions and devices -
Formation of the Linux Foundation
THe Free Standards Group and Open Source Development Lab merged to form the Linux Foundation. -
Linux version 3.0 released
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Android acheives massive success
Android, the AOSP, including Google Android and others, acheive 75% market share in the phone area. Android is based heavily on Linux. -
Ubuntu acheives incredible success, claiming 22 Million users
Ubuntu is one of the most popular Distributions, bsed off of Debian. -
Linux v. 4.4 is released
The current version of LInux
