---
title: "Linux Kernel First Released"
year: 1991
country: "Finland"
canonical: "https://recap.at/1991/linux-kernel-release"
slug: "linux-kernel-release"
recapType: "global_event"
startDate: "1991-01-01"
---

# Linux Kernel First Released

> Linus Torvalds released the Linux kernel, seeding an open-source operating system that became foundational to modern computing.

## Summary

The Linux kernel is a free and open-source Unix-like kernel that is used in many computer systems worldwide. The kernel was created by Linus Torvalds in 1991 and was soon adopted as the kernel for the GNU operating system (OS), which was created to be a free replacement for Unix. Since the late 1990s, it has been included in many operating system distributions, many of which are called Linux. One such Linux kernel operating system is Android, which is used in many mobile and embedded devices.

## Sources

- [Linux kernel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_kernel) - Wikipedia

---
Canonical: https://recap.at/1991/linux-kernel-release