Linux was created in 1994 by Linus Torvalds.
Linux at its core is the base for operating systems → the kernel.
The kernel is this monstrocity:
Linux in itself does not really do anything.
Not untill you build something on top of it
Linux distros
A Linux distribution, or distro, is a built up linux based operating system.
There are a TON of different distros, each made for their own purpose. Like mint-os which is build to make the transition from windows to linux easier because of its similarity, or kali-linux which is made for cyber security purposes.