SQL Server Features

SQL Server 1.0, 1989 (Who Cares?)
Ancient History OS/2 Products

SQL Server 1.1, 1991 (Who Cares?)
Ancient History OS/2 Products

SQL Server 4.21, 1993 (Major Release)
First Windows NT Version

SQL Server 6.0, 1995 (Minor Release)
Iterative Enhancements

SQL Server 6.5, 1996 (Minor Release)
Iterative Enhancements

SQL Server 7.0, 1998 (Major Release)

 * Almost complete legacy overhaul
 * On-disk structures
 * Memory Management
 * Lock Management
 * Query optimization
 * Enterprise Manager
 * Query Analyzer

SQL Server 2000, 2000 (Minor at Best)

 * User-defined functions
 * Indexed views
 * Cascading DRI
 * Basic XML
 * GUIDs

SQL Server 2005, 2005 (Major, Major, Major Release)

 * SQLOS
 * DMVs
 * Service Broker
 * Window Functions
 * SQLCLR
 * Typed XML
 * Partitioning
 * Mirroring
 * SSIS (add on pack)
 * SSRS
 * SSMS

SQL Server 2008, 2008 (Decent Release)

 * Compression
 * Resource Governor
 * DATE and TIME types
 * Transparent Data Encryption
 * CDC / CT (change tracking)
 * PBM (policy based management)

SQL Server 2008 R2, 2010 ("yawn")

 * New Report Builder
 * Master Data Services
 * StreamInsight
 * Some SSRS Stuff

SQL Server 2012, 2012 (Not Bad)
Better window functions
 * Columnstore v1
 * Data Quality Services
 * SSAS Tabular
 * Availability Groups

SQL Server 2014, 2014 (Why Bother?)

 * Memory optimized v1
 * Columnstore v2
 * Better Availability Groups
 * Delayed Durability

SQL Server 2016, 2016 (Finally, Another Major Release!)

 * Query Store
 * Polybase
 * In-database Analytics (R)
 * Basic JSON
 * Always Encrypted
 * Row-Level Security
 * Temporal Tables
 * Columnstore v3
 * Memory optimized v2
 * Stretch Database

Note in SP1 - Standard Edition has access to all Enterprise features

A-Z Features
Better window functions (2012)
 * Always Encrypted (2016)
 * Availability Groups (2012)
 * Better Availability Groups (2014)
 * Basic JSON (2016)
 * Basic XML (2000)
 * Cascading DRI (2000)
 * CDC / CT (change tracking) (2008)
 * Columnstore v1 (2012)
 * Columnstore v2 (2014)
 * Columnstore v3 (2016)
 * Compression (2008)
 * Data Quality Services (2012)
 * DATE and TIME types (2008)
 * Delayed Durability (2014)
 * DMVs (2005)
 * Enterprise Manager (7.0)
 * GUIDs (2000)
 * In-database Analytics (R) (2016)
 * Indexed views (2000)
 * Lock Management (7.0)
 * Master Data Services (2008 R2)
 * Memory Management (7.0)
 * Memory optimized v1 (2014)
 * Memory optimized v2 (2016)
 * Mirroring (2005)
 * New Report Builder (2008 R2)
 * On-disk structures (7.0)
 * Partitioning (2005)
 * PBM (policy based management) (2008)
 * Polybase (2016)
 * Query Analyzer (7.0)
 * Query optimization (7.0)
 * Query Store (2016)
 * Resource Governor (2008)
 * Row-Level Security (2016)
 * Service Broker (2005)
 * SQLCLR (2005)
 * SQLOS (2005)
 * SSAS Tabular (2012)
 * SSIS (add on pack) (2005)
 * SSMS (2005)
 * SSRS (2005)
 * Some SSRS Stuff (2008 R2)
 * StreamInsight (2008 R2)
 * Stretch Database (2016)
 * Temporal Tables (2016)
 * Transparent Data Encryption (2008)
 * Typed XML (2005)
 * User-defined functions (2000)
 * Window Functions (2005)

source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4608MNM-QU