Here are the dates the various Java versions were released. This table does not show the minor _01 _02 type releases. Major releases 1.3, 1.4.0, 1.5.0 and 1.6.0 are named after birds or mammals, while minor releases are named after insects, given that they are bug-fix releases.
Java Versions Release Dates | ||
version | Release Date | Code Name |
JDK 1.0 | 1996-01-23 | Oak? Java first released to the public |
Java version 1.1 | 1997-02-18 | Sparkler |
JDK 1.1.4 | 1997-09-12 | Sparkler |
JDK 1.1.5 | 1997-12-03 | Pumpkin |
JDK 1.1.6 | 1998-04-24 | Abigail |
JDK 1.1.7 | 1998-09-28 | Brutus |
JDK 1.1.8 | 1999-04-08 | Chelsea |
J2SE 1.2 | 1998-12-04 | Playground |
J2SE 1.2.1 | 1999-03-30 | (none) |
J2SE 1.2.2 | 1999-07-08 | Cricket |
J2SE 1.3 | 2000-05-08 | Kestrel |
J2SE 1.3.1 | 2001-05-17 | Ladybird |
J2SE 1.4.0 | 2002-02-13 | Merlin |
J2SE 1.4.1 | 2002-09-16 | Hopper (Grasshopper) |
J2SE 1.4.2 | 2003-06-26 | Mantis |
J2SE 1.5.0 | 2004-09-29 | Tiger |
J2SE 1.5.1 | N/A | Dragonfly, Dragon |
J2SE 6.0 (1.6.0) | 2006-12-12 | Mustang |
Future Releases | ||
J2SE 7.0 (1.7.0) | Dolphin | |
Mac OS programmers are still on Java version 1.5. To get Java version 1.6 they need Mac OS X.
