Computers need programming languages to function. That’s just a simple fact of life. However, these languages didn’t just spring up out of nowhere. They were developed by people for explicit purposes.

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Discover the top 7 programming languages of 2025 based on the TIOBE Index. Learn about the trends in Python, Java, C++, SQL, ...

For the rest of the history of modern programming languages -- because C was really just the beginning! -- check out the infographic below. You can click it to zoom in.