While this was not the very first model of the Gibson Les Paul, it certainly was the most iconic. Named after the legendary guitarist himself, Les Paul, the 1968 model is not the first of its kind. There were earlier versions that date back all the way to 1952, however, due to them being targeted exclusively to older, more sophisticated musicians, did not sell too well.
The 1968 Les Paul was made for the burgeoning new guitarists of its time, but still comes up popular today. Vintage guitars tend to do that. This model tended to everybody, because it had a mature tone as well as some bite, for the rock musicians.
There is certainly a difference between Gibson guitars and Fender guitars. (See the about page for a video comparison!).