The History of JavaScript: From 1995 to the Modern Web

In 1995, Netscape Communications wanted a scripting language to make web pages interactive.
They hired Brendan Eich, who created the first version of JavaScript in only 10 days.

Interestingly, JavaScript was not meant to be a professional programming language at first. It was:

Lightweight
Easy for beginners
Meant for simple browser tasks

This first version was called Mocha, then changed to LiveScript, and finally renamed JavaScript to ride on the popularity of Java at that time.

⭐ Why is it called JavaScript?

The name was mostly a marketing decision.

Java was extremely popular in 1995, so Netscape and Sun Microsystems rebranded LiveScript as JavaScript to create buzz — even though Java and JavaScript are completely different languages.

⭐ Standardization – ECMAScript (1997)

As browsers like Internet Explorer and Netscape began fighting for dominance, they implemented JavaScript differently, causing compatibility issues.

To solve this, JavaScript was standardized under the name:

ECMAScript (ES)

by ECMA International in 1997.

Today:

ECMAScript → the official language standard
JavaScript → the implementation used in browsers

⭐ Evolution of JavaScript Versions

ES3 (1999)

A major update improving stability and browser compatibility.

ES5 (2009)

A turning point with features like:

Strict mode
JSON support
Array methods (forEach, map, filter)

ES6 / ES2015 – The Big Revolution

Introduced modern features:

let and const
Arrow functions
Classes
Promises
Modules
Template literals

After ES6, new features started releasing every year.

⭐ Rise of JavaScript Frameworks

JavaScript exploded in popularity with modern frameworks:

2009 – Node.js (JavaScript on servers)
2010 – AngularJS
2013 – React
2014 – Vue.js

These made development faster, more scalable, and more powerful.

⭐ Why JavaScript Became So Popular

✔ Runs in every browser
✔ Easy to start, powerful to master
✔ Great for frontend & backend
✔ Massive community
✔ Endless frameworks and tools
✔ Huge job demand

⭐ Today – JavaScript Everywhere

In 2025, JavaScript powers:

Websites
Mobile apps
Desktop apps
APIs & servers
IoT devices
AI & machine learning tools

It has become a universal language.

⭐ Conclusion

JavaScript started as a quick scripting tool but transformed into the backbone of the modern web. Its continuous evolution, strong community, and ecosystem of libraries make it more powerful each year.

📌 Citations

🔗 View other articles about Javascript:
https://savanka.com/category/learn/js/

🔗 External Javascript Documentation:
https://www.w3schools.com/js/