C programming language was developed in 1972 by Dennis Ritchie at Bell Laboratories to overcome problems with previous languages like B and BCPL. C is one of the most widely used programming languages due to its speed, efficiency, and ability to manipulate low-level memory, making it essential for operating systems, embedded systems, and many other applications. The document outlines fundamentals of C programming including data types, variables, control structures, and functions that provide a solid foundation, as well as more advanced topics like pointers, memory management, and optimization techniques.