A Brief History of HTML5
Once upon a time, in the early days of the internet (cue dial-up noise), HTML was just a humble markup language, helping nerds put text on a webpage. Fast forward to the 2000s, the web evolved, but HTML wasn’t keeping up—so HTML5 was born!
fficially introduced in 2014, HTML5 brought a boatload of new features: built-in audio and video support, new semantic elements, and APIs that made the web feel more like a real application platform rather than a fancy document viewer.
It basically said, “Hey Flash, you’re fired!”
HTML5 Keyword Reference Table
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
<article> | Defines an independent self-contained content block |
<section> | Represents a standalone section of content |
<header> | Represents introductory content or navigation links |
<footer> | Represents footer information for a section or page |
<nav> | Defines navigation links |
<figure> | Groups media content with captions |
<figcaption> | Defines a caption for a <figure> |
<audio> | Embeds sound content |
<video> | Embeds video content |
<canvas> | Creates graphics via JavaScript |
<progress> | Displays a progress bar |
<meter> | Represents a scalar measurement |
Common Uses of HTML5 (With Code Samples!)
1. Embedding a Video (Goodbye, Flash!)
Back in the dark ages, embedding a video meant dealing with Flash, which was about as fun as debugging spaghetti code. Now, HTML5 makes it easy:
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Reference: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Element/video
2. The <canvas> Element (For Those Who Love Drawing with Code)
Want to draw graphics using JavaScript? HTML5 has your back:
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Reference: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Canvas_API
3. The <audio> Tag (For Your Podcast or Sick Beats)
Want to add sound without using janky plugins? HTML5 has a native solution:
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Reference: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Element/audio
4. The <progress> Element (Because Loading Screens Are a Vibe)
You can create a simple progress bar with HTML5:
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Reference: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Element/progress
Key Ideas Summary
| Concept | Summary |
|---|---|
| HTML5 Introduction | A modern update to HTML with new elements and API support |
| New Elements | Includes <video>, <audio>, <canvas>, and more |
| Goodbye Flash | HTML5 eliminates the need for plugins |
| Built-in Multimedia | Native support for audio and video |
| Canvas API | Enables drawing graphics using JavaScript |
| Progress Bars & Meters | Provides built-in UI elements for displaying progress |
