HTML5 Boilerplate is the professional badass's base HTML/CSS/JS template for a fast, robust and future-proof site.

After more than three years in iterative development, you get the best of the best practices baked in: cross-browser normalization, performance optimizations, even optional features like cross-domain Ajax and Flash. A starter apache .htaccess config file hooks you the eff up with caching rules and preps your site to serve HTML5 video, use @font-face, and get your gzip zipple on.

Boilerplate is not a framework, nor does it prescribe any philosophy of development, it's just got some tricks to get your project off the ground quickly and right-footed.

Why it is awesome

  • Cross-browser compatible (IE6, yeah we got that.)
  • HTML5 ready. Use the new tags with certainty.
  • Optimal caching and compression rules for grade-A performance
  • Best practice site configuration defaults
  • Mobile browser optimizations
  • Progressive enhancement graceful degradation … yeah yeah we got that
  • IE specific classes for maximum cross-browser control
  • Handy .no-js and .js classes to style based on capability

Why it is awesome-er

  • Console.log nerfing so you won't break anyone by mistake.
  • Never go wrong with your doctype or markup!
  • An optimal print stylesheet, performance optimized.
  • iOS, Android, Opera Mobile-adaptable markup and CSS skeleton.
  • .clearfix, .visuallyhidden classes to style things wisely and accessibly.
  • .htaccess file that allows proper use of HTML5 features and faster page load
  • CDN hosted jQuery with local fallback failsafe.
  • Think there's too much? The HTML5 Boilerplate is delete-key friendly. :)

Source: HTML5 Boilerplate