The first usable version of the Linux operating system was created by Linus Torvalds in 1991. He developed it as a free, open-source alternative to the Unix operating system. Torvalds's work laid the foundation for the vast ecosystem of distributions that Linux supports today. His initial release sparked interest among developers, leading to contributions from many around the world. This collaborative effort has continued to evolve Linux into a robust, versatile, and widely used operating system across various devices.