Piano is Versitile
The modern piano keyboard was created in 13th century Europe. It had the twelve basic black and white notes that repeat in a pattern. The pianoforte however was revealed in Florence, Italy in the 1700s. It was based off the harpsichord frame, and was created by a harpsichord maker called Bartolomeo Christofori. The dulcimer can be considered a predecessor of the piano because the strings were struck and not plucked. A lot of previous work on string instruments went into the piano. From early instruments with one string strung across a branch or bow, to harps and harpsichords and fancy stringed instruments with many strings and different notes. It took a long time for the piano to gain enthusiasm and nearly died out a few times, until 1760 twelve people came to England and changed the pianoforte forever.
If you want more than this basic cut version of piano history, try these sites: