1995 founded Standing
languages · ecma-international.org
JavaScript
the moat is real
30 years 260 days and counting
Brendan Eich, Netscape, 1995. Still the language you cannot avoid.
Why it lasted
- It is the only language the web runtime will not let you uninstall.
- Every attempt to replace it (Java applets, Flash, Dart-in-Chrome, Wasm-only apps) became a compile target for it instead.
- The spec is a committee and the committee keeps moving, so the language never freezes into a relic.
Times it almost ended
- It was written in ten days. That should have been the epitaph. It became the punchline that shipped.
- Server-side JS was a joke until it was not.
What would finish it
- Browsers shipping a different default language. They will not.
Questions
Is JavaScript still up?
Yes, with a Standing verdict: the moat is real. Founded 1995.
How long has JavaScript been around?
JavaScript has been up since 1995-12-04.
Why did JavaScript survive?
It is the only language the web runtime will not let you uninstall.
Could JavaScript still die?
Browsers shipping a different default language. They will not.