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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
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Part of our collection of invention and technology timelines.
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
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)
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
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)
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
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
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)
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)
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)
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Key Facts
- The first high-level programming language, Fortran, was introduced in the 1950s.
- The development of C programming language in the 1970s paved the way for system programming and operating systems.
- Object-oriented programming gained popularity in the 1980s with the introduction of languages like C++ and Smalltalk.
- The 1990s saw the rise of scripting languages like Perl and Python, making programming more accessible.
- 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 work hard to keep these timelines accurate, but mistakes do get through. If you spot one, email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it for future visitors.
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