History of JavaScript

JavaScript was created in 1995 by Brendan Eich while he was working at Netscape Communications Corporation. It was originally called Mocha, then LiveScript, before finally being named JavaScript to capitalize on the popularity of Java at the time.

Not until 2009 when NodeJs, (discussed shortly), was released, JavaScript was used predominantly (if not entirely) for building websites along with HTML and CSS.

What is NodeJS?

Every web browsers has JavaScript engine (JavaScript interpreter, JavaScript runtime), which makes it possible to programmatically control or modify the website, through two major interfaces called the Document Object Model and the Browser Object Model. The JavaScript engine is also essentially for effective functioning of JavaScript frameworks (and libraries) like Vue, Angular and React which you have probably heard of.

In 2009, a man called Ryan Dahl, created something that has since broaden the use of JavaScript. Ryan "extracted" the JavaScript engine from a browser and make it use able outside the browser, he called this creation NodeJS

With NodeJs, it is now possible for to use JavaScript for virtually anything.

In 2010, npm1 was created, this made it possible to use other people's code, or code fragments also know as frameworks2, or libraries3 which they give out freely (Open Source Codes), thus increasing the strength of the JavaScript community.

Other important things to note are:

  1. 2010, ExpressJs A tool for building servers (backend)
  2. 2012, Typescript another programming language, modelled after JavaScript
  3. 2013, Electron - A tool for creating desktop applications
  4. 2015, React Native - A tool for building mobile applications and desktop applications JavaScript
  5. 2018, Deno Deno is a runtime for JavaScript, TypeScript, and WebAssembly that is based on the V8 JavaScript engine
  6. Bun Bun is a fast JavaScript runtime

The Bottom line is, JavaScript has been around for almost three decades and, a number of dictators have tried to overthrow it (pun intended). I don't think it would be going anywhere anytime soon, especially with it increasing adoption

1

NPM stands for Node Package Manager. It's a free, open-source registry and command-line tool for JavaScript software packages

2

Frameworks are often used as the foundation for building apps for specific platforms, they can be likened to skeleton

3

A library a collection of pre-written code that programmers can use to create applications, A fitting analogy is a collection of fabrics, buttons, threads e.t.c that seamstresses keep, with the right combination of choice you can make any dress

Last change: 2025-09-03, commit: 6636d47