Curated timeline

Software Development History

Decode the history of programming. From Ada Lovelace and assembly language to the rise of C, Java, Python, open source, and modern DevOps.

• Plankalkül Design (1943 CE)

  Konrad Zuse designs Plankalkül, the first high-level programming language, though not implemented until 1975.

• Assembly Language (1949 CE)

  First symbolic programming languages emerge, using mnemonics instead of machine code.

• A-0 System Compiler (1951 CE)

  Grace Hopper creates the A-0 System, one of the first compilers for translating mathematical code.

• FORTRAN Released (October 15, 1956)

  IBM releases FORTRAN I, the first widely-used high-level programming language for scientific computing.

• LISP Created (1958 CE)

  John McCarthy creates LISP at MIT, pioneering functional programming and AI research.

• COBOL Development (April 1959)

  Grace Hopper leads team developing COBOL, the first business-oriented programming language.

• ALGOL 60 (1960 CE)

  International committee creates ALGOL 60, highly influential in programming language design.

• APL Programming Language (1962 CE)

  Kenneth Iverson develops APL, array programming language with unique mathematical notation.

• BASIC Language (May 1, 1964)

  Dartmouth College creates BASIC, making programming accessible to beginners and students.

• MULTICS Project (1965 CE)

  MIT, Bell Labs, and GE begin MULTICS, ambitious multiplexed operating system project.

• Simula 67 (1967 CE)

  Norwegian Computing Center creates Simula 67, introducing object-oriented programming concepts.

• UNIX Development Begins (Summer 1969)

  Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie begin UNIX development at Bell Labs, creating influential operating system.

• Pascal Language (1970 CE)

  Niklaus Wirth creates Pascal, promoting structured programming and computer science education.

• Relational Database Model (June 1970)

  Edgar Codd publishes 'A Relational Model of Data' paper, revolutionizing database design.

• C Language Created (1972 CE)

  Dennis Ritchie develops C programming language at Bell Labs, becoming foundation for modern programming.

• Prolog Logic Programming (1972 CE)

  Alain Colmerauer creates Prolog, pioneering logic programming and AI applications.

• UNIX Rewritten in C (1973 CE)

  UNIX Version 4 rewritten in C language, making it portable across different hardware architectures.

• Ethernet Invented (May 22, 1973)

  Bob Metcalfe invents Ethernet at Xerox PARC, enabling local area networking.

• Scheme Language (1975 CE)

  MIT creates Scheme, influential LISP dialect emphasizing functional programming principles.

• vi Text Editor (1976 CE)

  Bill Joy creates vi text editor at UC Berkeley, becoming standard UNIX editor.

• Make Build Tool (April 1976)

  Stuart Feldman creates Make at Bell Labs, automating software builds and dependency management.

• Apple II Released (June 10, 1977)

  Apple II released with built-in BASIC interpreter, popularizing home computing and programming.

• K&R C Book Published (February 22, 1978)

  'The C Programming Language' by Kernighan and Ritchie becomes the definitive programming reference.

• VisiCalc Spreadsheet (October 17, 1979)

  VisiCalc, first spreadsheet program, transforms personal computing and business applications.

• Smalltalk-80 Released (1980 CE)

  Xerox PARC releases Smalltalk-80, pure object-oriented language influencing GUI development.

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