React is a JavaScript library that was created to solve complex user interface problems faced by large web applications.

React did not appear suddenly. It was developed because companies like Facebook needed a better way to manage fast-changing data and UI.

In simple words:
React was created to handle dynamic, large-scale applications efficiently.

Background:

• Early websites were simple and static

• As web apps became complex, UI management became difficult

• Facebook needed a fast and scalable UI solution

Who Created React?

React was created by Jordan Walke, a software engineer working at Facebook (Meta).

Why Facebook Created React?

Facebook faced problems such as:

• Frequently updating news feeds

• Real-time likes and comments

• Notifications changing every second

Managing these with traditional JavaScript was:
❌ slow
❌ difficult
❌ hard to maintain

Jordan Walke developed React to solve these issues.

Key Points:

• Created at Facebook

• Initially used internally

• Later shared with the public as open source

Evolution of React

React evolved step-by-step over the years to become what it is today.

Early Stage:

• Only class components

• Limited features

• Harder for beginners

Growth Stage:

• Performance improvements

• Better architecture

• More developer-friendly features

Modern React:

• Functional components

• Hooks

• Better performance

• Easier to learn and maintain

React continuously improves based on developer needs and industry demands.

Major React Versions and Changes

React 0.3 – 0.13 (2013–2015)

First public versions of React.

Key Features:

• Component-based architecture

• Virtual DOM

• JSX support

Limitations:

• Only class components

• Complex lifecycle methods

 React 15 (2016)

First stable and widely used version.

Improvements:

• Better performance

• Improved error handling

• Stable API

Result:

• React became popular in the industry

 React 16 (2017)

Major update with Fiber architecture.

New Features:

• Faster rendering

• Error Boundaries

• Fragments

• Portals

This version significantly improved performance.

React 16.8 (2019) – Hooks Introduction 🎣

Most important update in React history.

Introduced:

• useState

• useEffect

• useContext

Benefits:

• Use state without class components

• Less code

• Cleaner logic

Functional components became the standard.

React 17 (2020)

Focused on stability and smooth upgrades.

Key Changes:

• No major new features

• Easier migration

• Improved event handling

Helped large apps upgrade safely.

React 18 (2022)

Modern React with performance improvements.

Key Features:

• Concurrent rendering

• Automatic batching

• Improved Suspense

React apps became faster and more responsive.

Final Summary

React:

• Was created by Faceboo

• Solved complex UI problems

• Evolved over time

• Became easier and faster

• Is now a modern, industry-ready library