Which company created the Java programming language, originally released in 1995?

Sun Microsystems created the Java programming language, originally released in 1995.

Java was developed at Sun Microsystems by a team led by James Gosling. The language was publicly released in 1995 with the promise that programs could run on different systems through the Java Virtual Machine. Its “write once, run anywhere” approach helped it become important in enterprise software, web applications, and Android development.

Sun was founded in 1982 by Vinod Khosla, Scott McNealy, Bill Joy, and Andy Bechtolsheim. Its name came from Stanford University Network, reflecting its early connection to Stanford University. The company became known for workstations, servers, networking, and the Solaris operating system.

Oracle acquired Sun Microsystems in 2010. Oracle therefore owns Java today, but Oracle did not create it. Sun’s historical importance also helped it become a frequently studied technology company, even though it is no longer independently listed in market-capitalization rankings.