# Canonical recap data for Windows 95 Operating System Launch (1995)
# Source: https://recap.at/1995/windows-95
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: windows-95
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1995/windows-95"
title: Windows 95 Operating System Launch
aliases:
- Win95
- Windows 95 launch
- Chicago
subtitle: Microsoft's Windows 95 introduced the graphical interface to mass consumers, making personal computing accessible and establishing the template for modern desktop operating systems.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1995-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 1995
decade: 1990
country:
name: United States
slug: united-states
summaryShort: Windows XP is a major release of Microsoft's Windows NT operating system. It was released to manufacturing on August 24, 2001, and later to retail on October 25, 2001. It is a direct successor to Windows 2000 for high-end and business users and Windows Me for home users.
summaryLong: Windows XP is a major release of Microsoft's Windows NT operating system. It was released to manufacturing on August 24, 2001, and later to retail on October 25, 2001. It is a direct successor to Windows 2000 for high-end and business users and Windows Me for home users.
lede: Microsoft released Windows 95 on August 24, 1995, fundamentally reshaping how ordinary people interacted with personal computers. The operating system introduced the graphical user interface to the mainstream—a taskbar, Start menu, and point-and-click simplicity that made computers accessible beyond tech enthusiasts. It became the fastest-selling software of its era and essentially defined the PC market for the next decade.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/64/Windows_XP_Luna.png/330px-Windows_XP_Luna.png"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Windows XP"
importance: 82
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Release date
  value: August 24, 1995
- label: Development codename
  value: Chicago
- label: Copies sold in first four years
  value: 40 million
- label: Key new feature
  value: Graphical user interface with Start menu and taskbar
- label: Marketing campaign budget
  value: $300 million
- label: First commercial OS to bundle TCP/IP
  value: "Yes"
- label: Market share by 1998
  value: ~90% of PC operating systems
timeline:
- date: 1994-04-01
  title: Development begins under codename Chicago
  description: Microsoft formally kicks off development of the next-generation Windows system aimed at consumer markets.
- date: 1995-06-01
  title: Beta testing begins
  description: Windows 95 enters public beta phase; early testers encounter the now-iconic blue screen of death and other stability issues.
- date: 1995-08-24
  title: Official release to manufacturing
  description: Windows 95 ships to PC manufacturers and retailers after years of development led by Brad Silverberg's team.
- date: 1995-08-25
  title: $300 million marketing campaign launches
  description: Microsoft begins its largest marketing push ever, featuring the Rolling Stones' 'Start Me Up' as the campaign anthem.
- date: 1995-11-01
  title: Windows 95 reaches 1 million copies sold
  description: The OS becomes the fastest-selling software product in history at the time, with retailers reporting stock shortages.
- date: 1997-06-25
  title: Windows 95 Service Pack 1 released
  description: Microsoft releases the first major update, addressing stability and compatibility issues from the original release.
- date: 1998-05-15
  title: Windows 98 announced
  description: Microsoft announces the successor, signaling that Windows 95's dominance is entering a mature phase.
- date: 1999-12-31
  title: Windows 95 reaches 40 million copies sold
  description: By the end of the decade, Windows 95 has sold approximately 40 million copies worldwide.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_XP"
  title: Windows xp operating system
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: Windows 95 didn't just sell 40 million copies in four years—it made the personal computer a household appliance rather than a hobbyist tool. The graphical interface and plug-and-play hardware support lowered barriers to entry so sharply that PC adoption accelerated across demographics and geographies. Its dominance effectively locked in the Wintel standard and shaped computing expectations for an entire generation.
categories:
- tech-launch
taxonomy:
domain: technological
eventTypes:
- tech_launch
canonicalClasses:
- creation
- transformation
impactRadius: global
velocity: sudden
predictability: scheduled
intentionality: planned
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: birth
metaDescription: Microsoft released Windows 95 on August 24, 1995, bringing the GUI mainstream and selling 40 million copies in four years.
wikidataQid: Q11248
mediaCoverage:
- publisher: The New York Times
  publisherSlug: the-new-york-times
  headline: Microsoft Launches Windows 95, a Radical Overhaul of Its Operating System
  publishedAt: 1995-08-24
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL recallable
  excerpt: Microsoft unveiled Windows 95 on Thursday, a complete redesign of its dominant operating system that introduces a graphical interface modeled on Apple's Macintosh. The new system, which will be available to consumers next week, represents the company's most ambitious software release in years.
  significance: 85
  type: newspaper
  region: United States
- publisher: Wired Magazine
  publisherSlug: wired-magazine
  headline: "The Windows 95 Revolution: How Microsoft Just Changed Everything"
  publishedAt: 1995-09-01
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL recallable
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - Windows 95's revolutionary Start menu and taskbar represent a seismic shift in how ordinary users interact with their PCs. Microsoft has finally cracked the code that Apple pioneered, and the results could reshape the entire personal computer market.
  significance: 80
  type: magazine
  region: United States
- publisher: Financial Times
  publisherSlug: financial-times
  headline: Microsoft's Windows 95 Launch Signals New Era of Mass-Market Computing
  publishedAt: 1995-08-28
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL recallable
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - Industry analysts say Windows 95 could cement Microsoft's dominance in personal computing and reshape the competitive landscape for Apple and other rivals. The operating system's accessibility to non-technical users may accelerate PC adoption across corporate and consumer markets.
  significance: 78
  type: newspaper
  region: United Kingdom
- publisher: Computer Reseller News
  publisherSlug: computer-reseller-news
  headline: "Windows 95 Ships: Resellers Report Strong Pre-Orders as Demand Surges"
  publishedAt: 1995-08-31
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL recallable
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - Computer retailers across North America reported unprecedented demand in the days before Windows 95's retail launch, with some stores opening at midnight to accommodate eager customers.
  significance: 72
  type: tech_press
  region: United States
- publisher: BBC News
  publisherSlug: bbc-news
  headline: "Windows 95: Microsoft's Bold Challenge to Apple"
  publishedAt: 1995-09-05
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL recallable
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - The BBC reports that Microsoft's new operating system brings consumer-friendly computing to the masses, fundamentally challenging Apple's marketing strategy and potentially reshaping the global PC market.
  significance: 68
  type: tv
  region: United Kingdom
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260613100610/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_XP"
  capturedAt: 2026-06-13
  label: Windows xp operating system
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_XP"
