MySQL is an open-source Relational Database Management System (RDBMS), which uses Structured Query Language (SQL). Here are some key aspects of MySQL:
MySQL was originally developed in 1994 by Michael "Monty" Widenius, David Axmark, and Allan Larsson as a personal project. The first version was released in 1995. The name "MySQL" is a combination of "My" (the name of Widenius's daughter) and "SQL."
In 2008, MySQL was acquired by Sun Microsystems, which was later bought by Oracle Corporation in 2010. This acquisition raised concerns within the community about the future direction of MySQL, leading to the creation of MariaDB, a fork of MySQL, by Monty Widenius.
MySQL is widely used in web applications, especially in conjunction with the LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) stack. It's popular for content management systems like WordPress, e-commerce platforms like Magento, and numerous other software solutions due to its ease of use, speed, and robust transaction support.
There's a large community around MySQL, which contributes to its development, offers support, and provides resources for learning. Oracle provides both community and enterprise editions, with the latter offering additional features, support, and tools for enterprise-level deployments.