Google Maps was the 2005 web mapping service commonly credited as the first major AJAX-driven interactive map. It launched on February 8, 2005, allowing users to drag, pan, and zoom across map tiles without reloading an entire webpage.
Its interface combined JavaScript, XML, and asynchronous browser requests—techniques popularized under the name AJAX. Earlier online maps existed, including MapQuest, but they generally relied on static images, arrow controls, or full-page refreshes. Google Maps made the map itself feel more like a desktop application.
The service grew from technology developed by Where 2 Technologies, an Australian company founded by Lars and Jens Rasmussen, Stephen Ma, and Noel Gordon. Google acquired the company in 2004 and turned its work into a browser-based product.
A common mix-up is Google Earth, which also launched in 2005 but was a separate virtual-globe application built around satellite imagery and 3D exploration. Google Maps also helped popularize embeddable online maps when its public API arrived later in 2005.