⚙️ Algol (short for Algorithmic Language) was a family of imperative computer programming languages originally developed in the 1950s–60s. It's a cornerstone in programming language history, inspiring most modern languages like C, Pascal, and JavaScript.

🔍 Highlights: Algol 58 / Algol 60 / Algol 68 are the major versions.

Algol 60 introduced:

Block structure (begin ... end)

Lexical scoping

BNF grammar (Backus-Naur Form)

🧠 Why it mattered: It formalized syntax and structure — made parsing and compilers sane.

Paved the way for academic and practical language design.

First to separate syntax from semantics rigorously.

👻 Why it died: Not widely adopted outside academia.

Lack of standard libraries and commercial support.

IBM pushed COBOL/Fortran instead — classic corporate vs open design tension.

it was better than its succesors