October 1985
Bjarne Stroustrup releases C++
Bjarne Stroustrup released C++ 1.0 in October 1985 — adding object-oriented features to C for systems programming.
What it was for
C++ powers game engines, browsers, databases, and embedded systemA computer built into a device for a dedicated task — from car brakes to router firmware.s — the default when C needs abstraction without garbage collectionAutomatic memory management that frees unused objects — programmers need not track every allocation manually.. Stroustrup's 'C with classes' became one of the most influential language designs ever.
People
- Bjarne Stroustrup — creator
Why it's here
C++ defined systems programming with OOPObject-oriented programming — organizing code around objects that combine data and behavior. for decades before RustA systems language emphasizing memory safety without garbage collection — fast adoption in infrastructure.'s rise.
Why it mattered
It showed zero-cost abstractions could compile to efficient machine codeBinary instructions a CPU executes directly — what compilers and assemblers ultimately produce..
What it solved
C lacked abstraction mechanisms for large simulation and systems codebases at Bell Labs.
Media
ImageBjarne StroustrupICPCNews, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Related
- C++11 standardizedSeptember 1, 2011