Git is a distributed version control system that allows developers to collaborate on software projects. It tracks changes to code and manages different branches. The history of version control evolved from local systems in the 1970s, to centralized systems in the 1980s, to distributed systems like Git in the 2000s. GitHub, created in 2008, is a popular web-based platform for hosting Git repositories and enhancing collaboration between developers through features like bug tracking and task management. The document provides an overview of version control history and systems, the key capabilities and commands of Git, and the differences between Git and GitHub.