PHP
As a foundational pillar in web development, PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) initiated a profound transformation in the dynamic website world upon its release in the mid-1990s. It single-handedly democratized server-side scripting by migrating the craft from complex CGI scripts and static HTML pages to much more accessible code embedded directly into HTML. This pivotal shift dismantled previous web interactivity and database integration barriers, placing powerful, dynamic content generation tools into the hands of countless developers globally.