Programming Languages Timeline

  • Plankalkul

    Developer: Konrad Zuse
    Plankalkul was developed for various engineering purposes.
  • Fortran

    Developer: John Backus
    The introduction of Fortran enabled rapid writing of computer programs. It stands for Formula Translation.
  • MATH-MATIC

    Developer: Charles Katz
    MATH-MATIC, designed as the programming language for the UNIVAC I and UNIVAC II, was designed to be an improvement over the language Fortran.
  • Lisp

    Developer: John McCarthy
    Although LISP was originally created for mathematical notation, it is now mainly used in the research of artificial intelligence systems. It stands for List Processing
  • COBOL

    Developer: CODASYL
    COBOL was created to aid in business applications, such as data processing. It was designed to be easily understood. COBOL stands for COmputer Business Oriented Language
  • RPG

    Developer: IBM
    RPG was designed for business applications, and stands for Report Program Generator.
  • BASIC

    Developers: John Kemeny and Thomas Kurtz
    Developed to help introduce those interested in programming into the field, with the language able to translate plain English into code. BASIC stands for Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code.
  • LOGO

    Developer: Seymore Papert
    LOGO has been used as a learning tool, introducing many young grade-schoolers (and possibly many others) to the programming world.
  • B

    Developer: Ken Thopson and Dennis Ritche
    B was developed for non-numeric applications, such a system programming.
  • PASCAL

    Developer: Niklaus Wirth
    PASCAL is used in the teaching of structured programming.
  • C

    Developers: Dennis Ritchie and Brian Kenningham.
    C was developed to aid in the programming of computer-operating systems, as well as the development of portable-application software.
  • ML

    Developer: Robin Milner
    ML was used in the LCF theorem proofer for the development of proof tactics. ML stands for metalanguage.
  • SQL

    Developer: ISO/ IES
    SQL was developed for the managing of data. It stands for Structured Query Language.
  • ADA

    Developer: Jean Ichbiah
    ADA was created to set a common language at the Department of Defense, which had been using a wide variety of codes until that point. It was named after Ada Lovelace, who is credited with being the first computer programmer.
  • C++

    Developer: Bjarne Stroustrup
    C++ was originally created as an extension of the programming language C, but ended up becoming its own individual language that is now used for structured programming.
  • Java

    Developer: William Joy
    Java was developed to aid in consumer electronic device communications.
  • Python

    Developer: Guido van Rossum/ Python Software Foundation
    Python was developed to be easily readable. It requires less lines of code for commands compared to other languages.
  • Visual Basic

    Developer: Microsoft
    Visual Basic is designed to create detailed programming.
  • PHP

    Developers: Rasmus Lerdorf /PHP GROUP
    PHP is used for general-purpose programming and web development. It stands for PHP Hypertex Preprocessor.
  • Delphi

    Developer: Borland
    Delphi, named after the legendary oracle of Ancient Greece, was designed as an easy programming method for Windows.
  • Javascript

    Developed by: Brendan Eich
    Javascript was created because of the increasing need for a web page dynamic.