//History of Windows
Disclaimer:The below timeline is by no means complete (or does contain all the developments of the Windows operating system). More notes and references will be added over time.
1985
Release of Windows 1.0 (16Bit Line)
1987
Release of Windows 2.0 (16Bit Line)Introduction of DDE
Release of OS/2 1.0 (Joint Venture between Microsoft and IBM)
1990
Release of Windows 3.0 (16Bit Line)
Breakup of OS/2 Joint Venture, Microsoft focused on Windows
1991
Release Visual Basic 1.0
Specification VBX
Later rebranded to OCX in 1994
1992
Release of Windows 3.1 (16Bit Line)
Introduction of NamedPipes
Introduction of OLE
Introduction of MFC Library 1.0
1993
Release of Windows 3.11 (16Bit Line)
Release of NT 3.1 (NT Line)
Introduction and Usage of 32bit addresses
Introduction of MFC Library 2.0
1994
Specification OLE Controls (OCX)
Introduction of MFC Library 3.0
Release of NT 3.5 (NT Line)
Introduction of LPC
1995
Release of Windows 95 (9x Line)
Introduction of Remote Procedure Calls (RPC)
Release of Windows NT 3.51 (NT Line)
1996
Release of Windows NT 4.0 (NT Line)
OLE Controls (OCX 96) was rebranded to ActiveX
Microsoft released beta Version of DCOM for Windows 95
Microsoft released Microsoft Transaction Server (MTS) 1.0
1997
The Windows Scripting Host (WSH) in version 1.0 is introduced and offered as additional tool within the installation disc of Windows 95
1998
Release of Windows 98 (9x Line)
WSH becomes a standard component of Windows
Microsoft releases Interoperability Services between COM and MTS
2000
Release of Windows ME (9x Line)
Release of Windows 2000 (NT Line)
Initially called Windows NT 5.0
Introduction of SID History in Windows 2000 Domains
Release of Windows 2000 Server (Server Line)
Microsoft introudced the .NET Platform at the Microsoft Professional Developers Conference
Microsoft introduced Active Directory Domain Services (ADDS)
Kerberos is set to be the preferred authentication scheme for network authentication.
2001
Release of Windows XP (NT Line)
End Of Mainstream Support: 14.04.2009
End Of Extended Support: 08.04.2014
2002
Release of .NET Framework 1.0
Release of Windows XP Embedded
End Of Mainstream Support: 11.01.2011
End Of Extended Support: 12.01.2016
2003
Release of Windows Server 2003 (Server Line)
Introduction of Constrained Delegation
Introduction of Forest Trust Relationships
Introduction of AD FS 1.0
End Of Mainstream Support: 13.07.2010
End Of Extended Support: 14.07.2015
2006
Release of Windows Server 2003 R2 (Server Line)
End Of Mainstream Support: 13.07.2010
End Of Extended Support: 14.07.2015
2007
Release of Windows Vista (NT Line)
Introduction of ALPC
End Of Mainstream Support: 10.04.2012
End Of Extended Support: 11.04.2017
2008
Release of Windows Server 2008 (Server Line)
Introduction of AD FS 1.1
Introduction of Read Only Domain Controllers RODCs
Introduction of Fine-Grained Password Policies
End Of Mainstream Support: 13.01.2015
End Of Extended Support: 14.01.2020
2009
Release of Windows 7 (NT Line)
End Of Mainstream Support: 13.01.2015
End Of Extended Support: 14.01.2020
Release of Windows Server 2008 R2 (Server Line)
Introduction of Managed Service Accounts
Introduction of AD FS 2.0
End Of Mainstream Support: 13.01.2015
End Of Extended Support: 14.01.2020
2012
Release of Windows 8 (NT Line)
End Of Extended Support: 12.01.2016
Release of Windows Server 2012 (Server Line)
Introduction of Group Managed Service Accounts
Introduction of AD FS 2.1
End Of Mainstream Support: 09.10.2018
End Of Extended Support: 10.10.2023
2013
Release of Windows 8.1 (NT Line)
End Of Mainstream Support: 09.01.2018
End Of Extended Support: 10.01.2023
Release of Windows Server 2012 R2 (Server Line)
Introduction of Protected Users Security Group
Introduction of AD FS 3.0
End Of Mainstream Support: 09.10.2018
End Of Extended Support: 10.10.2023
2014
Microsoft introudced Restricted Admin Mode for RDP Connections
2015
Release of Windows 10 (NT Line)
Microsoft introduced the Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS)
Microsoft introduced the Advanced Threat Analytics (ATA)
Later superseded by Azure Advanced Threat Protection (AATP) in 2018
End Of Mainstream Support: 12.01.2021
End Of Extended Support: 13.01.2026
2016
Release of Windows Server 2016 (Server Line)
Introduction of AD FS 4.0 (AD FS 2016)
End Of Mainstream Support: 11.01.2022
End Of Extended Support: 12.01.2027
2018
Release of Windows Server 2019 (Server Line)
Introduction of AD FS 5.0 (AD FS 2019)
End Of Mainstream Support: 09.01.2024
End Of Extended Support: 09.01.2029
Microsoft Introduced Azure Advanced Threat Protection (AATP)
Later rebranded to Defender for Identity in 2020
2020
Microsoft Azure Advanced Threat Protection (AATP) was rebranded to Defender For Identity