Python was created by Guido van Rossum in the late 1980s. The language was first implemented as a successor to the ABC programming language and was intended to overcome its limitations while retaining its simplicity. Van Rossum started working on Python at the Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI) in the Netherlands and officially released Python version 0.9.0 in 1991.

Major Milestones in Python's Development:

• 1991: Python 0.9.0 was released, including features like exception handling, functions, and core data types.
• 2000: Python 2.0 was released with notable features such as list comprehensions, garbage collection, and the introduction of Unicode.
• 2008: Python 3.0 (often referred to as Python 3000) was released. It was a major revision that introduced backwards-incompatible changes, making the language cleaner and easier to understand.
• Present: Python 3.x is the standard version. Python 2.x has reached its end of life as of January 1, 2020.

Python was designed with the goal of being simple and fun to use. The language's name was inspired by "Monty Python's Flying Circus", a popular British comedy group, and not from the snake species.

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