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JavaScript Book

History and Evolution of JavaScript

JavaScript was created in 1995 by Brendan Eich while he was working at Netscape. Originally named Mocha, then LiveScript, it was finally called JavaScript to capitalize on the popularity of Java. Despite the name, JavaScript is not related to Java.

In 1997, ECMA International standardized the language under the name ECMAScript (ES). Major milestones include:

  • ES3 (1999): Added regular expressions, try/catch, and more.
  • ES5 (2009): Introduced strict mode, JSON support, and array methods like forEach.
  • ES6 (2015): A huge update with classes, modules, arrow functions, promises, and much more.
  • ES7+ (2016–present): Annual releases with incremental features like async/await, optional chaining, and nullish coalescing.

Today, JavaScript runs everywhere – from browsers to servers (Node.js), mobile apps, and even embedded systems. It is the language of the web.