Bjarne Stroustrup first invented C++ in 1980 at Bell Laboratories as an expanded version of C called "C with Classes". C++ added object-oriented programming features like data abstraction, encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism to C. Some common applications of C++ include real-time systems, simulation/modeling, databases, AI/expert systems, and CAD/CAM systems. A basic C++ program structure includes include files, class declarations, member function definitions, and a main function.