Hilbert presented 23 problems at the International Congress of Mathematicians in 1900 to help guide and inspire future mathematical research. Some key problems included Cantor's continuum hypothesis as the first problem and developing criteria for determining the simplest proof for a theorem as the proposed but unpublished 24th problem. Over a century later, most problems now have solutions but some remain open or too vague, showing both the progress and ongoing challenges of mathematics. Hilbert's problems helped shape mathematics and provide benchmarks to measure advances in the field over time.