[bmn__]

> browsers didn't support "display:table"

Internet Explorer on Windows was the singular offender. ISTR that other ones with at least 0.7% market share were implementing the display property correctly.

A desirable solution was to just paper over the bugs and other shortcomings with Javascript: https://github.com/seancoyne/ie7-js

That way one could simply write standard compliant code and not waste any time with hacks and float work-arounds.

[worik]

"Internet Explorer on Windows was"... 90% plus of the market

[strenholme]

The trick I did was “<!--[if lt IE 8]><table><![endif]-->” for older IE and “display: table” for anything standards compliant.