# Rasmus Lerdorf

> Danish programmer and creator of PHP

**Wikidata**: [Q92768](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q92768)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rasmus_Lerdorf)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/rasmus-lerdorf

## Summary
Rasmus Lerdorf is a Danish programmer and computer scientist best known as the creator of PHP, a widely used scripting language for web development. Born in Greenland, he developed PHP in 1995, which became a foundational technology for the modern web.

## Biography
- **Born**: November 22, 1968, in Qeqertarsuaq, Greenland
- **Nationality**: Danish
- **Education**: University of Waterloo, King City Secondary School
- **Known for**: Creating PHP (1995)
- **Employer(s)**: Etsy (2012–present), Yahoo (2002–2009)
- **Field(s)**: Programming, computer science, web development

## Contributions
Rasmus Lerdorf created PHP in 1995, initially as a set of Common Gateway Interface (CGI) binaries written in C to track visits to his online resume. The language evolved into a full-fledged scripting tool for web development, officially released on June 8, 1995. PHP's simplicity and integration with HTML made it accessible to developers, leading to its widespread adoption. Today, PHP powers major platforms like WordPress, Facebook (early versions), and Wikipedia. Lerdorf also contributed to open-source projects and worked at Yahoo and Etsy, where he focused on scalability and performance optimization.

## FAQs
### Q: What is Rasmus Lerdorf best known for?
A: Rasmus Lerdorf is best known as the creator of PHP, a scripting language used in web development, which he first released in 1995.

### Q: Where was Rasmus Lerdorf born?
A: He was born in Qeqertarsuaq, Greenland, on November 22, 1968.

### Q: What companies has Rasmus Lerdorf worked for?
A: He worked at Yahoo from 2002 to 2009 and has been employed at Etsy since 2012.

### Q: What is PHP?
A: PHP is a scripting language designed for web development, created by Rasmus Lerdorf in 1995. It is widely used for server-side programming.

### Q: What is Rasmus Lerdorf's educational background?
A: He attended King City Secondary School and the University of Waterloo.

## Why They Matter
Rasmus Lerdorf's creation of PHP revolutionized web development by providing an easy-to-use, server-side scripting language that integrated seamlessly with HTML. PHP's adoption enabled the rapid growth of dynamic websites and content management systems like WordPress, which powers over 40% of the web. Without PHP, the modern web ecosystem would look significantly different, with fewer tools for developers to build interactive and scalable applications.

## Notable For
- Creator of PHP (1995), one of the most widely used web scripting languages.
- Early contributions to open-source software and web development tools.
- Work at major tech companies like Yahoo and Etsy, focusing on scalability.
- Member of the PHP Group, which oversees the language's development.

## Body
### Early Life and Education
Rasmus Lerdorf was born on November 22, 1968, in Qeqertarsuaq, Greenland. He attended King City Secondary School and later studied at the University of Waterloo.

### Creation of PHP
In 1995, Lerdorf developed PHP (originally "Personal Home Page Tools") as a set of CGI binaries to track visits to his online resume. The language was officially released on June 8, 1995, and evolved into a powerful scripting tool for web development. PHP's syntax and functionality were designed to be simple and practical, leading to its widespread adoption.

### Career
Lerdorf worked at Yahoo from 2002 to 2009, where he contributed to infrastructure and performance optimization. In 2012, he joined Etsy, focusing on scalability and engineering challenges.

### Impact on Web Development
PHP became a cornerstone of web development, powering platforms like WordPress, Drupal, and early versions of Facebook. Its ease of use and integration with databases made it a preferred choice for developers worldwide.

## Schema Markup
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  "birthDate": "1968-11-22",
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## References

1. general catalog of BnF
2. Virtual International Authority File
3. CiNii Research
4. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
5. [Rasmus Lerdorf | Open Library](https://openlibrary.org/authors/OL1437281A/Rasmus_Lerdorf)
6. Regional Database of the Central Bohemian Research Library in Kladno