Programming Language Evolution Timeline
From assembly language in 1949 to modern systems languages in 2023 — trace how programming languages evolved decade by decade. Each language links to its full lineage page with compiler, runtime, and influence relationships.
The dataset spans 1949–2023 with 97 programming languages. See the interactive timeline visualization for a graphical view.
1940s — 1 language
1950s — 6 languages
1960s — 7 languages
1970s — 12 languages
1980s — 17 languages
1990s — 20 languages
2000s — 15 languages
2010s — 17 languages
2020s — 2 languages
Frequently Asked Questions
When was the first programming language created?
The earliest programming languages in the dataset date to 1949. Assembly language and FORTRAN were among the first high-level languages in the late 1940s and 1950s.
Which decade had the most new programming languages?
The 1990s had the most new languages in this dataset (20 languages), reflecting rapid growth in the field.
What programming languages were created most recently?
The dataset includes languages up to 2023. Recent languages include Rust (2015), Kotlin (2011), Swift (2014), Mojo (2023), and others.