This document provides an overview of virtual reality (VR), including its history, types, technologies, applications, and future directions. It describes how VR emerged from flight simulators developed in the 1950s and became a commercial industry in the late 1980s. The document outlines different types of VR systems like immersive VR using head-mounted displays, telepresence, and augmented reality. It also discusses key VR hardware like HMDs, data gloves, and CAVE environments, as well as software standards like VRML. Current applications of VR span entertainment, medicine, manufacturing, and education/training. The document concludes that VR offers new ways of interacting with computers and experiencing virtual worlds not possible in reality.