This week marks the 29th anniversary of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, which debuted on August 16th, 1995, joining the fierce “browser wars” among online pioneers like Netscape and upstarts like Opera. Internet Explorer made its public debut as part of the Windows 95 operating system launch, kicking off nearly two decades as the dominant web browser across countless PCs around the globe.
Out of the gate, Internet Explorer helped bring user-friendly internet access into the mainstream for millions. Its tight integration with Windows 95 provided a simple, one-click way to go online and browse the World Wide Web, which was still relatively new and novel in 1995.
Internet Explorer put the internet front-and-center for Windows users.
Rise, Dominance, and Downfall
As it rapidly gained market share against Netscape Navigator throughout the late 1990s, Internet Explorer showcased technical innovations as well. Version 4.0 in 1997 introduced support for bolder multimedia web experiences through technologies like stylesheets, data binding, and DHTML. This allowed more dynamic and interactive content within web pages.
The browser was also a key driver in establishing today’s common web standards and opened the door to enhanced online security through user data encryption. While imperfect, it raised the bar on critical web fundamentals.
However, Internet Explorer’s dominance came at a cost, as Microsoft infamously leveraged its Windows monopoly to bundle and favor IE over third-party alternatives. This sparked legal battles over anticompetitive practices and inhibited the open web’s growth for years.
Despite its pioneering role, Internet Explorer’s relatively stagnant development eventually led to it being superseded by more modern, standards-compliant browsers like Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome in the late 2000s.
By 2015, Microsoft effectively admitted defeat by introducing the new Microsoft Edge browser and slowly phasing out IE.
The Wrap
On this 29th anniversary, we look back at how Internet Explorer democratized the internet and shaped the early web before being eclipsed itself. It was a ubiquitous presence that moved the needle, even as it became a case study in how a tech titan’s product can rise to dominance through anticompetitive means before falling behind more innovative alternatives.
Internet Explorer may have faded, but its legacy is forever burned into web history.
