The C programming language has remained one of the most important and influential programming languages in the field of computer science since its creation in the early 1970s. Developed by Dennis Ritchie at Bell Laboratories, C was designed primarily for system programming and the development of the UNIX operating system. Over time, it became a universal programming language because of its efficiency, portability, and close interaction with computer hardware. This review paper examines the historical evolution of C, its standardization phases, technical architecture, advantages, limitations, and long-term influence on software engineering. The paper also discusses the role of C in operating systems, embedded systems, compilers, networking, and modern programming languages. Despite the rise of modern languages such as Python, Java, and Rust, C continues to remain highly relevant due to its unmatched performance and hardware-level control.