Inactive Account Deleting History

It's my understanding that it has not always been SL policy to note purge inactive account, and I would like to know when this policy began.

Also, I'd like to know if it's possible to retrieve a lost account at all. Thank you.

Herro Buhamut! This policy has been around a long time. I remember it being present in September 2004, when I first signed up for Second Life.

And, depends what you mean by "lost account". If you're able to verify that it was yours before, then the answer is likely yes, you can reactivate a cancelled account, but I can't say by proxy. For your specific case, please contact [email]support@secondlife.com[/email] or call Support.