TL;DR
Brendan Eich built a working prototype of what became JavaScript during a 10-day sprint at Netscape in May 1995; the language was announced with Sun Microsystems later that year. Since then JavaScript has become the dominant client-side language on the web and expanded far beyond browsers into servers, mobile and desktop tooling.
What happened
In May 1995 a Netscape engineer, Brendan Eich, assembled a working prototype of a lightweight scripting language in roughly ten days. Netscape shipped that internals-first effort to the public as LiveScript in a September 1995 beta and formally announced JavaScript in a joint Netscape–Sun press release in December 1995. Eich’s design drew on influences such as Scheme and Self while adopting a Java-like syntax to satisfy management. The language reached a 1.0 release in March 1996 and was standardized by ECMA International as ECMAScript in June 1997. Early competing implementations, notably Microsoft’s JScript, produced browser incompatibilities that troubled developers. Subsequent developments — including AJAX in 2005 and Node.js in 2009 — broadened JavaScript’s role beyond in-browser scripting. By recent measurements, JavaScript now appears on the vast majority of websites with client-side code and is widely used across the developer community.
Why it matters
- JavaScript became the principal tool for adding interactivity to web pages and later expanded to servers, mobile and desktop platforms.
- Its near-ubiquity on websites means decisions about the language affect a very large portion of the web ecosystem.
- The language’s rushed origins left design inconsistencies that still influence tooling, libraries and developer practices.
- Community and governance questions — including trademark control — have practical effects on events, naming and ecosystem organization.
Key facts
- Brendan Eich produced an initial working prototype in about ten days in May 1995.
- Netscape and Sun Microsystems announced JavaScript in December 1995; an earlier beta shipped as LiveScript in September 1995.
- JavaScript reached a 1.0 release in March 1996 and was standardized as ECMAScript in June 1997.
- The language incorporated syntax similar to Java while borrowing concepts from Scheme and Self.
- Competing implementations such as Microsoft’s JScript contributed to years of browser incompatibility.
- AJAX (circa 2005) and Node.js (2009) expanded JavaScript’s role and helped revive innovation.
- Surveys cited place JavaScript among the most widely used languages; one recent figure states it appears on about 98.9% of websites with client-side code.
- TypeScript, a superset that adds static typing, grew from 12% adoption in 2017 to 35% in 2024 according to a cited report.
- An open letter and a petition to the US Patent and Trademark Office to cancel the JavaScript trademark were filed in November 2024; Oracle holds the mark after acquiring Sun Microsystems.
What to watch next
- Outcome of the USPTO petition to cancel the JavaScript trademark (filed November 2024) — not confirmed in the source.
- Further adoption and influence of TypeScript and related tooling on JavaScript ecosystems — not confirmed in the source.
- Any formal moves to change or further evolve the ECMAScript standard in response to community needs — not confirmed in the source.
Quick glossary
- JavaScript: A dynamic, prototype-based scripting language originally created to add interactivity to web pages; it is commonly used in browsers and many other environments.
- ECMAScript: The standardized specification for the language commonly called JavaScript; ECMA International publishes the standard to promote interoperability.
- Node.js: A runtime that allows JavaScript to run outside the browser, often used to build server-side applications and tooling.
- AJAX: A set of web techniques that enable asynchronous data exchange between client and server, allowing pages to update without full reloads.
- TypeScript: A language that builds on JavaScript by adding optional static typing and other features, and that compiles to standard JavaScript.
Reader FAQ
Who created JavaScript?
Brendan Eich at Netscape; he produced an initial working prototype during a roughly ten-day sprint in May 1995.
Why is it called JavaScript?
Netscape and Sun chose the JavaScript name in late 1995 largely for marketing reasons to associate with Java; earlier names included Mocha and LiveScript.
Is JavaScript the same as Java?
No. The two languages are distinct: Java is class-based and statically typed, while JavaScript is dynamically typed and uses prototype-based inheritance.
Who owns the JavaScript trademark?
Oracle inherited the JavaScript trademark when it acquired Sun Microsystems; a community petition to cancel the trademark was filed in November 2024.
When did JavaScript become a standard?
JavaScript was standardized as ECMAScript by ECMA International in June 1997.
TALES OF TECH LORE In 1995, a Netscape employee wrote a hack in 10 days that now runs the Internet Thirty years later, JavaScript is the glue that holds the…
Sources
- In 1995, a Netscape employee wrote a hack in 10 days that now runs the Internet
- JavaScript: How a 10-Day Sprint Revolutionized the Web
- 1995: The Birth of JavaScript
- The story behind Java and JavaScript: what's the difference?
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