Molly Holzschlag
A passionate evangelist for web standards who helped teach a generation of developers to build a more beautiful and accessible internet.
1963–2023 (age 60)·American computer scientist·Birthday: January 25·Baby Boomers
Biography
Molly Holzschlag was the warm, humanist heart of the web's technical evolution. In the wild early days of the internet, she emerged not as a distant guru but as an approachable teacher, writing over thirty books that demystified HTML and CSS for countless designers. She was a central figure in the Web Standards Project, advocating fiercely for browsers to adopt consistent rules so the web could work for everyone. Dubbed the 'Fairy Godmother of the Web,' her superpower was blending deep technical knowledge with an insistence on empathy and community. She believed the web was fundamentally about people connecting, and she spent her career tearing down the gates that kept them out. Her voice, both in print and from the podium at conferences worldwide, championed a web that was open, interoperable, and creatively boundless.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Molly was born in 1963, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Molly Was Born
The biggest hits of 1963
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Best Picture
Tom Jones
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Molly's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1963Born
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1968Started school
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1976Became a teenager
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Could drive
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1981Could vote
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Turned 21
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1993Turned 30
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 40
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 50
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 60
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
Key Achievements
- Authored or co-authored 35 books on web design, development, and standards, including the influential 'The Zen of CSS Design'.
- Was a leading advocate in the Web Standards Project (WaSP), pushing for cross-browser compatibility and accessibility.
- Served as an invited expert to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) working groups.
- Delivered keynote speeches and workshops at major technology conferences globally, educating a generation of web professionals.
Did You Know?
She was famously nicknamed 'the Fairy Godmother of the Web' by her peers in the web standards community.
Before her web career, she worked as a musician and a music teacher.
She was a vocal advocate for women in technology and mentored many newcomers to the field.
Her book 'The Zen of CSS Design' deconstructed the designs of the pioneering CSS Zen Garden website.
“The Web is not about technology. It's about people. It's about communication.”
