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History of Programming Languages Timeline

(1940s - Present)

Discover the fascinating history of programming languages, from the development of assembly language in the 1940s to the emergence of high-level languages and modern programming paradigms. More Less

Go to: Timeline | Event List | Key Facts | Directory

Foundational Languages

FORTRAN development begins

1954

FORTRAN (short for "Formula Translation") development begins at IBM by John W. Backus, leading to the first high-level programming language designed for scientific and engineering calculations.

Image source: Fortran

FORTRAN development begins

LISP programming language invented

1958

John McCarthy invents LISP, the second-oldest high-level programming language still in use today, known for its emphasis on symbolic processing and list structures.

Image source: Lisp (programming language)

LISP programming language invented

COBOL language specification released

1960

The COBOL (short for "Common Business-Oriented Language") language specification is released, becoming one of the first high-level programming languages designed for business and administrative applications.

Image source: COBOL

COBOL language specification released

ALGOL 60 programming language standardized

1960

The ALGOL 60 programming language is standardized, playing a significant role in the development of subsequent programming languages and establishing important concepts and syntax.

C programming language development begins

1969

Dennis Ritchie and Ken Thompson start developing the C programming language at Bell Labs, which would go on to become one of the most influential and widely used programming languages.

Image source: C (programming language)

C programming language development begins

Modern Programming Paradigms

Smalltalk programming language released

1980

Smalltalk, a pioneering object-oriented programming language, is released, introducing concepts such as classes, objects, and inheritance.

Image source: Smalltalk

Smalltalk programming language released

Perl programming language released

1987

Larry Wall releases Perl, a versatile scripting language known for its text-processing capabilities and widespread use in system administration and web development.

Image source: Perl

Perl programming language released

Python programming language released

1991

Guido van Rossum releases Python, a powerful and easy-to-read language that gains popularity for its readability and extensive libraries.

Image source: Python (programming language)

Python programming language released

Java programming language released

1995

Sun Microsystems releases Java, a versatile and platform-independent language that revolutionizes software development, particularly for web and enterprise applications.

Image source: Java (programming language)

Java programming language released

Ruby programming language created

1995

Yukihiro Matsumoto creates Ruby, an elegant and flexible scripting language known for its focus on simplicity and productivity.

Image source: Ruby (programming language)

Ruby programming language created

C# programming language introduced

2000

Microsoft introduces C#, a modern object-oriented programming language that combines the power of C++ with simplicity and ease of use.

Image source: C Sharp (programming language)

C# programming language introduced

Ruby on Rails framework released

2004

David Heinemeier Hansson releases Ruby on Rails, a web application framework that popularizes the concept of convention over configuration and accelerates web development.

Image source: Ruby on Rails

Ruby on Rails framework released

Go programming language released

2009

Google releases Go, a statically typed language known for its simplicity, efficiency, and built-in support for concurrent programming.

Image source: Go (programming language)

Go programming language released

TypeScript programming language released

2012

Microsoft releases TypeScript, a superset of JavaScript that introduces static typing and enhances JavaScript development, particularly for large-scale applications.

Image source: TypeScript

TypeScript programming language released

Swift programming language introduced

2014

Apple introduces Swift, a modern and safe programming language designed for iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS development.

Image source: Swift (programming language)

Swift programming language introduced

Rust programming language 1.0 release

2015

The Rust programming language reaches version 1.0, offering memory safety, concurrency, and performance, making it suitable for systems programming.

Image source: Rust (programming language)

Rust programming language 1.0 release

WebAssembly (Wasm) officially supported

2017

WebAssembly (Wasm) becomes an official web standard, allowing high-performance code execution in web browsers and enabling the development of complex web applications.

Image source: WebAssembly

WebAssembly (Wasm) officially supported

Kotlin programming language officially supported for Android development

2017

Google announces official support for Kotlin as a first-class language for Android app development, offering improved productivity and safety features.

Language Standardization and Evolution

Ada programming language standardized

1983

The Ada programming language is standardized by the U.S. Department of Defense, emphasizing safety, reliability, and maintainability for critical systems development.

Image source: Ada (programming language)

Ada programming language standardized

Python 3 release

2008

Python 3 is released, introducing significant improvements and breaking backward compatibility with Python 2, marking a major milestone in the language's evolution.

C++11 standard released

2011

The C++11 standard is released, bringing significant enhancements to the C++ programming language, including improved support for concurrency, memory management, and language features.

JavaScript ECMAScript 6 (ES6) specification released

2015

The ECMAScript 6 (ES6) specification, also known as ES2015, is released, introducing new syntax, features, and better module support to JavaScript.

Image source: ECMAScript

JavaScript ECMAScript 6 (ES6) specification released

Python overtakes Java as the second most popular programming language

2019

Python surpasses Java in popularity, becoming the second most widely used programming language, driven by its simplicity, versatility, and extensive community support.

Web Development and Scripting Languages

JavaScript programming language introduced

1995

Netscape introduces JavaScript, a scripting language that enables dynamic and interactive web content, transforming the landscape of web development.

Image source: JavaScript

JavaScript programming language introduced

PHP programming language released

1995

Rasmus Lerdorf releases PHP, a server-side scripting language designed for web development, which becomes widely adopted for building dynamic websites.

Image source: PHP

PHP programming language released

Key Facts

  1. The first high-level programming language, Fortran, was introduced in the 1950s.
  2. The development of C programming language in the 1970s paved the way for system programming and operating systems.
  3. Object-oriented programming gained popularity in the 1980s with the introduction of languages like C++ and Smalltalk.
  4. The 1990s saw the rise of scripting languages like Perl and Python, making programming more accessible.
  5. The 2000s witnessed the emergence of new languages like Ruby, Swift, and Go, designed for specific purposes and improved productivity.

Source

This History of Programming Languages timeline was generated with the help of AI using information found on the internet.

We strive to make these timelines as accurate as possible, but occasionally inaccurates slip in. If you notice anything amiss, let us know at [email protected] and we'll correct it for future visitors.

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