jQuery is a lightweight JavaScript library that simplifies HTML and JavaScript interaction. It was developed by John Resig at Mozilla to simplify tasks like DOM manipulation, event handling, animation, and Ajax interactions. jQuery selects elements, handles events, performs animations, and ajax calls to simplify development. Common uses include forms, menus, tabs, sliders, and slideshows. The main benefits are a large community, ease of use, strong documentation, and ability to add functionality through plugins.