The initial version of PHP emerged in 1995, fundamentally altering how developers interact with server-side scripting. Created by Rasmus Lerdorf, this tool began as a personal utility and evolved into a ubiquitous language for web development. His contributions to software infrastructure continue to support a vast portion of the modern internet through ongoing language development.
Early Development and Academic Path
Born in 1968 in Qeqertarsuaq, Greenland, Lerdorf migrated to Denmark before moving his family to Canada in 1980. After settling in King City, Ontario, in 1983, he completed his secondary education at King City Secondary School in 1988. He later pursued engineering at the University of Waterloo, graduating in 1993 with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Systems Design Engineering.
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Before and during the refinement of his signature language, Lerdorf contributed to the Apache HTTP Server. His technical work included adding a LIMIT clause to the mSQL DBMS. While similar functionality existed in mainframe systems like Oracle Rdb on VMS, his implementation helped integrate this capability into the emerging PC-based database market, eventually influencing numerous SQL-compatible systems.
Corporate Engagements and Industry Presence
Lerdorf served as an Infrastructure Architecture Engineer at Yahoo from 2002 until 2009. His subsequent professional roles included API development at WePay starting in 2010 and a period as a roving consultant in 2011. He joined Etsy in 2012 and later provided senior advisory services to Jelastic in 2013. A regular speaker at technical gatherings, he notably discussed the history and evolution of PHP at the WeAreDevelopers Conferences in 2017 and 2019.
Fast facts
- Born: 1968, Qeqertarsuaq
- Citizenship: Kingdom of Denmark
- Notable Work: PHP
- Education: University of Waterloo
- Yahoo Tenure: 2002-2009
- Recognition: MIT Technology Review TR100, 2003
Questions readers ask
What academic degree does Rasmus Lerdorf hold?
He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Systems Design Engineering from the University of Waterloo.
When did Rasmus Lerdorf release the first version of PHP?
The first version of the language was released in 1995.
Achievements
- Notable work: PHP
- Affiliated with Yahoo
- Educated at University of Waterloo and King City Secondary School
- Worked as programmer, computer scientist and engineer