Arial was designed in 1982 by Robin Nicholas and Patricia Saunders for Monotype. It was created specifically to be used in low-resolution screen environments, making it more versatile than its predecessor, Helvetica.
If you need a specific license (e.g., for a commercial server, a video game, or a PDF form), buy the official license:
. While it sounds like a specific, rare typeface, it actually represents the intersection of digital font classification and one of the most ubiquitous designs in history. The Anatomy of the Name