30 years of Javascript: how a 10-day prototype brought the Internet to life

Debora Pape

17.12.2025

Translation: machine translated

Javascript is the engine that brings the modern Internet to life. In 1995, Netscape developer Brendan Eich created the prototype of the programming language in just ten days.

Not only Windows 95 celebrated its 30th birthday this year, but also an inconspicuous hero. You hardly notice him, but you use him all the time. Without it, the Internet would be a pretty-looking pile of pixels with no function. It was given its name in December 1995: Javascript.

The programming language is part of the holy trinity of the internet: HTML provides the basic framework of text, images and links, CSS ensures that the content is presented in an attractive way and Javascript makes it all interactive.

You click on a button and something happens: Thanks, Javascript! Your cart updates itself as if by magic: Thanks, Javascript! Your boss isn't looking and you're playing games in your browser at Galaxus: Thanks, Javascript! Even interactive maps integrated into websites, such as Google Maps, would not be possible without Javascript. Today, the programming language is used on well over 90 per cent of all websites.

The nineties pioneering years: away from static websites

Thirty years ago, things looked very different. In the early nineties, the internet slowly began to become popular outside of university computers. However, websites hardly allowed any interaction and presented static content.

Netscape, the company behind the then widely used browser Netscape Navigator, wanted to change that. With Java from Sun Microsystems, there was already a programming language that could bring more life to websites. It was actually too complex for user interactions such as a simple button click. However, animations or simple games - so-called Java applets - would be possible.

The only thing missing was an interface with which such applets could be integrated into websites and which would tell the browser what to do with the code. A simple scripting language was needed. It had to be easy to learn and simple to use.

This is where Netscape developer Brendan Eich came into play. In May 1995, he created a prototype of what would later become Javascript in just ten days and called it Mocha. This early version was not perfect, but it served its purpose. Over the course of the year, Eich continued to fine-tune his baby and fixed the worst of the bugs.

Some curiosities from the hasty development phase have survived to this day. These peculiarities make JavaScript stand out among programming languages. Like the eccentric cousin, who is a great person - but sometimes does things that cause raised eyebrows at the family reunion.

Came to stay

In September 1995, the language, now renamed LiveScript, was released with Netscape Navigator 2.0. Three months later, another renaming followed: in co-operation with Sun Microsystems, Netscape used the name Java - and Javascript was born. Netscape wanted to capitalise on the popularity of the popular programming language - although they have little to do with each other.

In the beginning, Javascript was regarded as a «toy language» that could be used to add horizontally scrolling scrolling text to websites. In the late 1990s, Javascript became the standard for client-side scripts. With the founding of ECMA International, an organisation for the standardisation of IT systems, the language was formalised under the name ECMAScript. This created the basis for its continuous further development.

With the introduction of AJAX in the early 2000s, a new era began: websites could now load data asynchronously. This made it possible to display changes in real time. This paved the way for web applications such as the first social media platforms or Google Maps.

An irony of fate: while JavaScript dominates the web, Java applets, which JavaScript was created to integrate, have largely disappeared today. Microsoft's answer to Javascript from 1996, called JScript, also fell by the wayside. The two different languages led to annoying browser compatibility problems. But while JavaScript was available to all browsers, JScript was limited to Internet Explorer - and that has long since disappeared into oblivion.

Javascript is everywhere

Javascript is no longer a scripting language that is only used on websites. Developers also use it for apps and even for programmes that astronauts use to control the Crew Dragon capsule from SpaceX.

However, their peculiarities are still legendary. You can see many more examples of this in this presentation:

Debora Pape

Editor

Debora.Pape@galaxus.de

Feels just as comfortable in front of a gaming PC as she does in a hammock in the garden. Likes the Roman Empire, container ships and science fiction books. Focuses mostly on unearthing news stories about IT and smart products.

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