
When did Hotmail started?
Answer: 1996
Explanation:
Hotmail was launched in 1996 by Sabeer Bhatia and Jack Smith, making it one of the first web-based email services available to the general public. The service officially went live on July 4, 1996, which was deliberately chosen to coincide with America's Independence Day as a symbol of freedom from Internet Service Provider-based email systems.
Before Hotmail, most people could only access their email through their Internet Service Provider (ISP), which meant they could only check emails from their home or office computers. Hotmail revolutionized email communication by introducing the concept of web-based email that could be accessed from any computer with an internet connection and a web browser.
The name "Hotmail" originally included capital letters as "HoTMaiL" to emphasize the HTML programming language used to create the service. The founders initially struggled to secure funding for their innovative idea, but they eventually received investment support. Within just a few months of its launch, Hotmail gained tremendous popularity due to its free service model and accessibility.
The success of Hotmail was remarkable. By December 1997, just over a year after its launch, the service had attracted more than 8.5 million subscribers. This rapid growth caught the attention of Microsoft Corporation, which acquired Hotmail for approximately












