What exactly are Bitcoins? I've heard the term several times. I know that it's an online currency, but I'd like to know more, without having to search too hard.

My main questions:

What can bitcoins be used for?
Where does one acquire bitcoins?
When were they first created?
What exactly are Bitcoins?


bitcoins are the right and possiblility to write some data (transaction) to some database (blockchain) passing this right to another person.


  What can bitcoins be used for? 


What can gold be used for? Trading/exchanging for all other things


  Where does one acquire bitcoins?


Where does one acquire gold? Either buy it, or mine it, or steal it, or find it


  When were they first created?


When gold was first created? Dumb question. Just think that it exists today