Today, on the 27th of May, WordPress will turn 19 years old with unique sites, free WordPress themes, plugins, and community. In the spirit of celebrating just how far this incredible piece of open-source software has come since things began way back in 2003, we list the native themes from ages. Let’s explore the history and evolution of the free WordPress native default themes portfolio and catalog. Moreover, we’ll check what changed across the time.
So, have another visual look back in time through the history of the various default WordPress themes.
Happy 19th Birthday, WordPress!
A new WordPress installation needs a theme, even if it’s just a placeholder, until users can choose a new theme for their site. Standard WordPress themes fill this role.
But they offer more. For example, the default theme provides a high degree of compatibility with the platform, making it helpful to resolve common bugs.
Additionally, each new default theme implements the latest web design practices to keep the CMS fresh. It also sets the stage for an upcoming feature that the Make WordPress team is planning.
For example, WordPress default themes started incorporating responsive design in 2014 and 2015. This change was later extended to the backend and is now a quality WordPress web design staple. So, it’s fair to say that looking at the evolution of the default theme can give us a glimpse into the future of the web’s most popular CMS.
Free WordPress Native Themes Portfolio
Anzu WordPress Theme Visualmodo Default (Jun 2022)
Twenty Twenty-Two (Dec 2021)
Twenty Twenty-One (Feb 2021)
Twenty Twenty (Dec 2019)
Twenty Nineteen (Dec 2018)
More details on WordPress org
Twenty Seventeen (Dec 2016)
– Released alongside WordPress version 4.7.
Twenty-Sixteen (Dec 2015)
– Released alongside WordPress version 4.4.
Twenty-Fifteen (Dec 2014) Free Default WordPress Themes History
– Released alongside WordPress version 4.1.
Twenty-Fourteen (Dec 2013)
– Released alongside WordPress version 3.8.
Twenty Thirteen (Aug 2013) Free WordPress Themes History
– Released alongside WordPress version 3.6.
Twenty Twelve Free WordPress Theme (Dec 2012)
– Released alongside WordPress version 3.5.
Twenty-Eleven (July 2011) Free WordPress Themes History
Details | Live Demo
– Released alongside WordPress version 3.2. This make part of the history and Evolution of native WordPress themes
Twenty-Ten Free WordPress Theme (June 2010)
– Released alongside WordPress version 3.0.
Kubrick (Feb 2005) The First Internet Template
Finally, released alongside version 1.5.
Now Retired (Download Kubrick 2014)
Kubrick is a little different from the others on this list. So, if you’re interested in reading more about the history of this particular theme, check out this fascinating article on The Huffington Post. Moreover, Kubrick wasn’t around for just one year: oh no, Kubrick was the default theme from February 2005 (when pieces were first added to WordPress in version 1.5) to June 2010!
This theme changes the internet and makes WordPress what it’s today.
Before Kubrick Free WordPress Theme?
In conclusion, Is that it? Nothing before Kubrick? Well, before Kubrick (the first official default ‘theme’) there was another default ‘design/template’ of real significance/note: Classic (also now retired).
Finally, In the case that you need more features and design options to your WordPress, you can download the premium WordPress theme here.
So what’s next for default themes, then? Any ideas for Twenty-Eighteen? An eCommerce-focused theme perhaps? Or maybe something completely different?