Which programming language did Brendan Eich create at Netscape in 1995?

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Which programming language did Brendan Eich create at Netscape in 1995? JavaScript. Brendan Eich created JavaScript after joining Netscape Communications in April 1995. Netscape wanted a scripting language that could make web pages interactive inside its Navigator browser, and Eich produced the first working version under an extremely short development schedule.

The language was initially called Mocha. It was renamed LiveScript in September 1995, then JavaScript in December of that year through a naming arrangement involving Sun Microsystems. Despite the name, JavaScript is not a version of Java; the similar branding reflected business and marketing considerations. The languages have different designs, histories, and implementations.

Eich’s language combined influences from Scheme, Self, and Java. Its browser engine, later known as SpiderMonkey, allowed scripts to run within Navigator. JavaScript eventually became standardized as ECMAScript, while implementations spread to virtually every major browser. Today it supports browser interfaces, servers, mobile apps, desktop software, and many other environments, making it one of the defining technologies of the web.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

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