Hotmail was launched in :

Correct option is D

The correct answer is: (d) 1996

Explanation:
Hotmail, one of the first web-based email services, was officially launched on July 4, 1996 by Sabeer Bhatia and Jack Smith. The launch date symbolized “freedom” from ISP-based email, allowing users to access their mail from anywhere.

Information Booster:
• Hotmail was founded by Indian entrepreneur Sabeer Bhatia and American Jack Smith.
• It provided free email access over the internet, a major innovation at the time.
• Microsoft acquired Hotmail in 1997 for around $400 million.
• It was later rebranded as MSN Hotmail, and eventually became Outlook.com in 2013.
• Hotmail helped popularize the concept of cloud-based services.
• The "HoTMaiL" name emphasized HTML (HyperText Markup Language).

Additional Information:
• 1994 – Netscape Navigator (popular web browser) was launched, not Hotmail.
• 1995 – Launch of Internet Explorer and Windows 95, but Hotmail came later.
• 1993 – Early internet services like AOL grew, but web-based email was not yet developed.