Microsoft Windows history
Listed below are the important events in history relating to Microsoft Windows, including release dates for each version and related events.
See the codename definition for a listing of Microsoft codenames.
For a history of MS-DOS, see: MS-DOS history.
1983
Bill Gates announced Microsoft Windows on November 10, 1983.
1985
Microsoft Windows 1.0 was introduced on November 20, 1985, and was initially sold for $100.00.
1987
Microsoft Windows 2.0 was released on December 9, 1987, and was initially sold for $100.00.
Microsoft Windows/386 or Windows 386 was introduced on December 9, 1987, and was initially sold for $100.00.
1988
Microsoft Windows/286 or Windows 286 was introduced in June 1988, and initially sold for $100.00.
1990
Microsoft Windows 3.0 was released on May 22, 1990. Microsoft Windows 3.0 full version was priced at $149.95, and the upgrade version was priced at $79.95.
1991
Following its decision not to develop operating systems cooperatively with IBM, Microsoft changed the name of its version of OS/2, originally named NT OS/2 3.0, to Windows NT. Developed by David Cutler, Windows NT was built on a different architecture than IBM's OS/2 operating system.
Microsoft Windows 3.0 or Windows 3.0a with multimedia was released in October 1991.
1992
Microsoft Windows 3.1 was released in April 1992 and sold over one million copies in the first two months.
Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.1 was released in October 1992.
1993
Microsoft Windows NT 3.1 was released on July 27, 1993.
Microsoft Windows 3.11, an update to Windows 3.1, was released on December 31, 1993.
The number of licensed users of Microsoft Windows totaled more than 25 million in 1993.
1994
Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.11 was released in February 1994.
Microsoft Windows NT 3.5 was released on September 21, 1994.
1995
Microsoft Windows NT 3.51 was released on May 30, 1995.
Microsoft Windows 95 was released on August 24, 1995, and sold over one million copies within four days.
Microsoft Windows 95 Service Pack 1 (4.00.950A) was released on February 14, 1996.
1996
Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 was released on July 29, 1996.
Microsoft Windows 95 (4.00.950B), aka OSR2 with FAT32 and MMX (MultiMedia eXtension) support was released on August 24, 1996.
Microsoft Windows CE 1.0 was released in November 1996.
1997
Microsoft Windows CE 2.0 was released in November 1997.
Microsoft Windows 95 (4.00.950C), aka OSR2.5, was released on November 26, 1997.
1998
Microsoft Windows 98 was released in June 1998.
Microsoft Windows CE 2.1 was released in July 1998.
In October 1998, Microsoft announced that future releases of Windows NT would no longer have the initials of NT and that the next edition would be Windows 2000.
1999
Microsoft Windows 98 SE (Second Edition) was released on May 5, 1999.
Microsoft Windows CE 3.0 was released in 1999.
2000
On January 4, 2000, at CES (Consumer Electronics Show), Bill Gates announced the new version of Windows CE would be called Pocket PC (personal computer).
Microsoft Windows 2000 was released on February 17, 2000.
Microsoft Windows Me (Millennium) was released on June 19, 2000.
2001
Microsoft Windows XP was released on October 25, 2001.
Microsoft Windows XP 64-bit edition (version 2002) for Itanium systems was released on March 28, 2003.
2003
Microsoft Windows Server 2003 was released on March 28, 2003.
Microsoft Windows XP 64-bit edition (version 2003) for Itanium 2 systems was released on March 28, 2003.
Microsoft Windows XP Media Center edition 2003 was released on December 18, 2003.
2004
Microsoft Windows XP Media Center edition 2005 was released on October 12, 2004.
2005
Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 edition was released on April 24, 2005.
Microsoft announced its next operating system, code-named "Longhorn," would be named Windows Vista on July 23, 2005.
2006
Microsoft released Microsoft Windows Vista to corporations on November 30, 2006.
2007
Microsoft released Microsoft Windows Vista and Office 2007 to the general public on January 30, 2007.
2008
Microsoft released Microsoft Windows Server 2008 to the public on February 27, 2008.
2009
Microsoft released Windows 7 on October 22, 2009.
2012
Microsoft released Windows Server 2012 on September 4, 2012.
2013
Microsoft released Windows 8.1 on October 17, 2013.
2015
Microsoft released Windows 10 on July 29, 2015.
2021
Microsoft released Windows 11 on October 5, 2021.