Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet program that was first released for the Apple Macintosh in 1985, and a version for Windows followed a couple of years later. It allows users to organise data in rows and columns, apply formulas and functions, and create charts and pivot tables. At the time, the market for spreadsheets was led by Lotus 1-2-3 on IBM-compatible computers, but Excel's graphical interface and the spread of Windows allowed it to take over the lead in the early 1990s. The programming language Visual Basic for Applications was added in the 1990s, which let users automate their work. It is now part of the Microsoft Office suite and is used in businesses and schools around the world.
Before and after
- 31 August 1985Birth of Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud
- 1 September 1985The wreck of the Titanic is found
- 9 September 1985Birth of Luka Modrić
- 13 September 1985Release of Super Mario Bros.
- 30 September 1985Release of Microsoft Excel
- 3 October 1985First flight of Atlantis
- 24 October 1985Birth of Wayne Rooney
- 16 November 1985Birth of Sanna Marin
- 20 November 1985Creation of Microsoft Windows
More in Science & technology
- 1949Discovery of berkelium
- 1955Discovery of mendelevium
- 14 February 1961Discovery of lawrencium
- c. 1980sInvention of laptop
- 9 November 1994Discovery of darmstadtium
- 8 December 1994Discovery of roentgenium
The era
This moment belongs to the Contemporary world (1945 CE to today), the world since 1945. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.