A Timeline History of R

R / 6 min read

A record of some more or less important events in the history of R.

This is a work in progress. The information is cobbled together from a range of sources. If you have pertinent items to add, please let me know via the comments.

  • 2024:
    • RStudio-2024.12.0 “Kousa Dogwood” (2024-12-16)
    • RStudio-2024.09.1 “Cranberry Hibiscus” (2024-11-04)
    • R-4.4.2 “Pile of Leaves” (2024-10-31)
    • RStudio-2024.09.0 “Cranberry Hibiscus” (2024-09-23)
    • R-4.4.1 “Race for Your Life” (2024-06-14)
    • RStudio-2024.04.2 “Chocolate Cosmos” (2024-06-10)
    • RStudio-2024.04.1 “Chocolate Cosmos” (2024-05-13)
    • RStudio-2024.04.0 “Chocolate Cosmos” (2024-04-29)
    • R-4.4.0 “Puppy Cup” (2024-04-24)
    • useR! (Salzburg, Austria)
    • EARL (Brighton, UK)
    • posit::conf (Seattle, WA, USA)
    • R/Finance (Chicago, IL, USA)
    • New York R Conference (New York, NY, USA)
    • satRday (2024-04-27, London, UK)
    • R-4.3.3 “Angel Food Cake” (2024-02-29)
    • RStudio-2023.12.1 “Ocean Storm” (2024-01-29)
  • 2023:
    • RStudio-2023.12.0 “Ocean Storm” (2023-12-15)
    • R-4.3.2 “Eye Holes” (2023-10-31)
    • RStudio-2023.09.1 “Desert Sunflower” (2023-10-17)
    • RStudio-2023.09.0 “Desert Sunflower” (2023-09-25)
    • RStudio-2023.06.2 “Mountain Hydrangea” (2023-08-24)
    • RStudio-2023.06.1 “Mountain Hydrangea” (2023-07-07)
    • R-4.3.1 “Beagle Scouts” (2023-06-16)
    • RStudio-2023.06.0 “Mountain Hydrangea” (2023-06-08)
    • RStudio-2023.03.1 “Cherry Blossom” (2023-05-12)
    • R-4.3.0 “Already Tomorrow” (2023-04-21)
    • RStudio-2023.03.0 “Cherry Blossom” (2023-03-16)
    • R-4.2.3 “Shortstop Beagle” (2023-03-15)
    • satRday (2023-04-22, King’s College, London, UK)
    • R/Basel (2023-07-21, Basel, Switzerland)
    • posit::conf (Chicago, IL, USA)
    • R/Finance (Chicago, IL, USA)
  • 2022:
    • RStudio-2022.12.0 “Elsbeth Geranium” (2022-12-15)
    • R-4.2.2 “Innocent and Trusting” (2022-10-31)
    • RStudio-2022.07.2 “Spotted Wakerobin” (2022-09-21)
    • RStudio-2022.07.1 “Spotted Wakerobin” (2022-07-25)
    • RStudio-2022.07.0 “Spotted Wakerobin” (2022-07-07)
    • R-4.2.1 “Funny-Looking Kid” (2022-06-23)
    • RStudio-2022.02.3 “Prairie Trillium” (2022-06-02)
    • RStudio-2022.02.2 “Prairie Trillium” (2022-04-27)
    • RStudio-2021.09.3 “Ghost Orchid” (2022-04-20)
    • R-4.2.0 “Vigorous Calisthenics” (2022-04-22)
    • RStudio-2022.02.1 “Prairie Trillium” (2022-03-23)
    • R-4.1.3 “One Push-Up” (2022-03-10)
    • RStudio-2022.02.0 “Prairie Trillium” (2022-02-16)
    • RStudio-2021.09.2 “Ghost Orchid” (2022-01-04)
  • 2021:
    • The R Journal (13/2)
    • RStudio-2021.09.1 “Ghost Orchid” (2021-11-09)
    • R-4.1.2 “Bird Hippie” (2021-11-01)
    • RStudio-2021.09.0 “Ghost Orchid” (2021-09-27)
    • EARL (2021-09-10)
    • R-4.1.1 “Kick Things” (2021-08-10)
    • useR! (Zurich, Switzerland)
- <kbd class="bg-primary">RStudio-1.4.1717</kbd> "Juliet Rose" (2021-06-01)

- The R Journal ([13/1](https://journal.r-project.org/archive/2021-1/))

- <kbd>R-4.1.0</kbd> "Camp Pontanezen" (2021-05-18)

- <kbd>R-4.0.5</kbd> "Shake and Throw" (2021-03-31)

- <kbd class="bg-primary">RStudio-1.4.1106</kbd> "Tiger Daylily" (2021-02-22)

- <kbd>R-4.0.4</kbd> "Lost Library Book" (2021-02-15)
- [`rstudio::global`](https://www.rstudio.com/conference/) (2021-01-21)

- <kbd class="bg-primary">RStudio-1.4.1103</kbd> "Wax Begonia" (2021-01-20)
  • 2020:
    • The R Journal (12/2)
    • R-4.0.3 “Bunny-Wunnies Freak Out” (2020-10-10)
- <kbd class="bg-primary">RStudio-1.3.1093</kbd> "Apricot Nasturtium" (2020-09-18)
- <kbd class="bg-primary">RStudio-1.3.1073</kbd> "Giant Goldenrod" (2020-08-11)
- <kbd class="bg-primary">RStudio-1.3.1056</kbd> "Water Lily" (2020-07-15)

- <kbd>R-4.0.2</kbd> "Taking Off Again" (2020-06-22)
- <kbd>R-4.0.1</kbd> "See Things Now" (2020-06-06)

- <kbd class="bg-primary">RStudio-1.3.959</kbd> "Middlemist Red" (2020-05-22)

- <kbd>R-4.0.0</kbd> "Arbor Day" (2020-04-24)

- <kbd class="bg-primary">RStudio-1.2.5042</kbd> "Double Marigold" (2020-04-13)

- <kbd>R-3.6.3</kbd> "Holding the Windsock" (2020-02-29)
- [satRday](https://joburg2020.satrdays.org/) (2020-03-07, Johannesburg, South Africa)
- [satRday](https://neuchatel2020.satrdays.org/) (Neuchâtel, Switzerland)
- [satRday](https://amsterdam2020.satrdays.org/) (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
- [satRday](https://abidjan2020.satrdays.org/) (Abidjan, Ivory Coast)
- [satRday](https://auckland2020.satrdays.org/) (Auckland, New Zealand)
- [eRum](https://2020.erum.io/) (Milan, Italy)
- [New York R Conference](https://rstats.ai/nyr/) (New York, NY, USA)
- [R/Finance](https://www.rinfinance.com/) (Chicago, IL, USA)
- [`rstudio::conf`](https://www.rstudio.com/conference/) (San Francisco, CA, USA)
- [Why R?](https://2020.whyr.pl/) (Warsaw, Poland)
- [useR!](https://user2020.r-project.org/) (St. Louis, MO, USA)
- The R Journal ([12/1](https://journal.r-project.org/archive/2020-1/))
  • 2019:
    • R-3.6.2 “Dark and Stormy Night” (2019-12-12)
- <kbd class="bg-primary">RStudio-1.2.5033</kbd> "Orange Blossom" (2019-12-17)

- <kbd class="bg-primary">RStudio-1.2.5019</kbd> "Elderflower" (2019-11-01)
- <kbd class="bg-primary">RStudio-1.2.5001</kbd> (2019-09-19)
- <kbd>R-3.6.1</kbd> "Action of the Toes" (2019-07-05)
- <kbd>R-3.6.0</kbd> "Planting of a Tree" (2019-04-26)

- <kbd class="bg-primary">RStudio-1.2.1335</kbd> (2019-04-08)
- <kbd>R-3.5.3</kbd> "Great Truth" (2019-03-11)
- [useR!](https://www.user2019.fr/) (Toulouse, France)
- [satRday](https://cardiff2019.satrdays.org/) (2019-11-16, Cardiff, UK)
- [satRday](https://kampala2019.satrdays.org/) (2019-05-25, Kampala, Uganda)
- [satRday](https://gdansk2019.satrdays.org/) (2019-05-18, Gdansk, Poland)
- [satRday](https://berlin2019.satrdays.org/) (2019-06-15, Berlin, Germany)
- [satRday](https://chicago2019.satrdays.org/) (2019-04-27, Chicago)
- [satRday](https://joburg2019.satrdays.org/) (2019-04-06, Johannesburg, South Africa)
- [satRday](https://losangeles2019.satrdays.org/) (2019-04-06, Los Angeles, USA)
- [satRday](https://newcastle2019.satrdays.org/) (2019-04-06, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK)
- [satRday](https://paris2019.satrdays.org/) (2019-02-23, Paris, France)
- [Why R?](https://whyr.pl/2019/) (Warsaw, Poland)
- [`rstudio::conf`](https://www.rstudio.com/conference/) (Austin, TX, USA)
- The R Journal ([11/2](https://journal.r-project.org/archive/2019-2/))
- The R Journal ([11/1](https://journal.r-project.org/archive/2019-1/))
  • 2018:
    • R-3.5.2 “Eggshell Igloo” (2018-12-20)
    • RStudio-1.1.463 (2018-10-18)
    • RStudio-1.1.456 (2018-07-19)
    • R-3.5.1 “Feather Spray” (2018-07-02)
    • RStudio-1.1.453 (2018-05-16)
    • R-3.5.0 “Joy in Playing” (2018-04-23)
    • RStudio-1.1.447 (2018-04-18)
    • R-3.4.4 “Someone to Lean On” (2018-03-15)
    • RStudio-1.1.442 (2018-03-12)
    • RStudio-1.1.423 (2018-02-07)
    • RStudio-1.1.419 (2018-01-24)
    • eRum (Budapest, Hungary)
    • useR! (Brisbane, Australia)
    • R/Finance (Chicago, IL, USA)
    • satRday (Cape Town, South Africa)
    • satRday (Cardiff, Wales)
    • satRday (Belgrade, Serbia)
    • rstudio::conf (San Diego, CA, USA)
    • The R Journal (10/2)
    • The R Journal (10/1)
  • 2017:
    • R-3.4.3 “Kite-Eating Tree” (2017-11-30)
    • RStudio-1.1.383 (2017-10-09)
    • R-3.4.2 “Short Summer” (2017-09-28)
    • RStudio-1.0.153 (2017-07-20)
    • R-3.4.1 “Single Candle” (2017-06-30)
    • R-3.4.0 “You Stupid Darkness” (2017-04-21)
    • RStudio-1.0.143 (2017-04-19)
    • R-3.3.3 “Another Canoe” (2017-03-06)
    • useR! (Brussels, Belgium)
    • satRday (Cape Town, South Africa)
    • EARL (London; Boston, MA, USA; San Francisco, CA, USA)
    • R/Finance (Chicago, IL, USA)
    • rstudio::conf (Kissmmee, FL, USA)
    • The R Journal (9/2)
    • The R Journal (9/1)
  • 2016:
    • R-3.3.2 “Sincere Pumpkin Patch” (2016-10-31)
    • RStudio-0.99.903 (2016-07-18)
    • R-3.3.1 “Bug in Your Hair” (2016-06-21)
    • RStudio-0.99.902 (2016-05-26)
    • R-3.3.0 “Supposedly Educational” (2016-05-03)
    • R-3.2.5 “Very, Very Secure Dishes” (2016-04-14)
    • R-3.2.4 “Very Secure Dishes” (2016-03-10)
    • RStudio-1.0.136 (2016-12-21)
    • RStudio-1.0.44 (2016-11-01)
    • useR! (Stanford, CA, USA)
    • satRday (Budapest, Hungary)
    • EARL (London; Boston, MA, USA)
    • R/Finance (Chicago, IL, USA)
    • The R Journal (8/2)
    • The R Journal (8/1)
    • A new logo for R
  • 2015:
    • R Consortium founded
    • R-3.2.3 “Wooden Christmas-Tree” (2015-12-10)
    • R-3.2.2 “Fire Safety” (2015-08-14)
    • R-3.2.1 “World-Famous Astronaut” (2015-06-18)
    • RStudio-0.98.507 (2015-04-25)
    • R-3.2.0 “Full of Ingredients” (2015-04-16)
    • R-3.1.3 “Smooth Sidewalk” (2015-03-09)
- <kbd class="bg-primary">RStudio-0.98.1103</kbd> (2015-03-06)

- [useR!](https://user2015.math.aau.dk/) (Aalborg, Denmark)
- The R Journal ([7/2](https://journal.r-project.org/archive/2015-2/))
- The R Journal ([7/1](https://journal.r-project.org/archive/2015-1/))
  • 2014:
    • R-3.1.2 “Pumpkin Helmet” (2014-10-31)
    • R-3.1.1 “Sock it to Me” (2014-07-10)
    • R-3.1.0 “Spring Dance” (2014-04-10)
    • R-3.0.3 “Warm Puppy” (2014-03-06)
    • useR! (Los Angeles, CA, USA)
    • The R Journal (6/2)
    • The R Journal (6/1)
  • 2013:
    • R-3.0.2 “Frisbee Sailing” (2013-09-25)
    • R-3.0.1 “Good Sport” (2013-05-16)
    • RStudio-0.97.551 (2013-05-11)
    • R-3.0.0 “Masked Marvel” (2013-04-03)
    • R-2.15.3 “Security Blanket” (2013-03-01)
    • useR! (Albacete, Spain)
    • The R Journal (5/2)
    • The R Journal (5/1)
  • 2012:
    • R-2.15.2 “Trick or Treat” (2012-10-26)
    • RStudio-0.96.331 (2012-08-27)
    • R-2.15.1 “Roasted Marshmallows” (2012-06-22)
    • RStudio-0.95.265 (2012-04-05)
    • R-2.15.0 “Easter Beagle” (2012-03-30)
    • R-2.14.2 “Gift-Getting Season” (2012-02-29)
    • useR! (Nashville, TN, USA)
    • The R Journal (4/2)
    • The R Journal (4/1)
  • 2011:
    • R-2.14.1 “December Snowflakes” (2011-12-22)
    • R-2.14.0 “Great Pumpkin” (2011-10-31)
    • RStudio-0.94.110 (2011-10-03)
    • R-2.13.2 (2011-09-30)
    • R-2.13.1 (2011-07-08)
    • R-2.13.0 (2011-04-13)
    • RStudio-0.93.73 (2011-04-11)
    • RStudio-0.92.23 (2011-02-28) - First release
    • R-2.12.2 (2011-02-25)
    • useR! (Coventry, UK)
    • The R Journal (3/2)
    • The R Journal (3/1)
  • 2010:
    • R-2.12.1 (2010-12-16)
    • R-2.12.0 (2010-10-15)
    • R-2.11.1 (2010-05-31)
    • R-2.11.0 (2010-04-22)
    • useR! (Gaithersburg, MD, USA)
    • The R Journal (2/2)
    • The R Journal (2/1)
  • 2009:x
    • R-2.10.1 (2009-12-14)
    • R-2.10.0 (2009-10-26)
    • R-2.9.2 (2009-08-24)
    • R-2.9.1 (2009-06-26)
    • R-2.9.0 (2009-04-17)
    • The R Journal established
    • useR! (Rennes, France)
    • The R Journal (1/2)
    • The R Journal (1/1)
  • 2008:
    • R-2.8.1 (2008-12-22)
    • R-2.8.0 (2008-10-20)
    • R-2.7.2 (2008-08-25)
    • R-2.7.1 (2008-06-23)
    • R-2.7.0 (2008-04-22)
    • R-2.6.2 (2008-02-08)
    • useR! (Dortmund, Germany)
  • 2007:
    • R-2.6.1 (2007-11-26)
    • R-2.6.0 (2007-10-03)
    • R-2.5.1 (2007-06-28)
    • R-2.5.0 (2007-04-24)
    • useR! (Ames, IA, USA)
  • 2006:
    • R-2.4.1 (2006-12-18)
    • R-2.4.0 (2006-10-03)
    • R-2.3.1 (2006-06-01)
    • R-2.3.0 (2006-04-24)
    • useR! (Vienna, Austria)
  • 2005:
    • R-2.2.1 (2005-12-20)
    • R-2.2.0 (2005-10-06)
    • R-2.1.1 (2005-06-20)
    • R-2.1.0 (2005-04-19)
  • 2004:
    • R-2.0.1 (2004-11-15)
    • R-2.0.0 (2004-10-04)
    • useR! (Vienna, Austria)
  • 2003:
    • R-1.9.1 (2004-06-21)
    • R-1.9.0 (2004-04-12)
    • R-1.8.1 (2003-11-21)
    • R-1.8.0 (2003-10-08)
    • R-1.7.1 (2003-06-16)
    • R-1.7.0 (2003-04-16)
    • R-1.6.2 (2003-01-10)
    • R Foundation founded
  • 2002:
    • R-1.6.1 (2002-11-01)
    • R-1.6.0 (2002-10-01)
    • R-1.5.1 (2002-06-17)
    • R-1.5.0 (2002-04-29)
    • R-1.4.1 (2002-01-30)
  • 2001:
    • R-1.4.0 (2001-12-19)
    • R-1.3.1 (2001-08-31)
    • R-1.3.0 (2001-06-22)
    • R-1.2.3 (2001-04-26)
    • R-1.2.2 (2001-02-26)
    • R-1.2.1 (2001-01-15)
  • 2000:
    • R-1.2.0 (2000-12-15)
    • R-1.1.1 (2000-08-15)
    • R-1.1.0 (2000-06-15)
    • R-1.0.1 (2000-04-14)
    • R-1.0.0 (2000-02-29)
  • 1999:
    • Functions for installing packages from CRAN
    • r-project.org domain created
    • 1997:
    • R core group formed
    • The birth of CRAN
    • R becomes part of the GNU Project
  • 1996:
    • r-testers mailing list started
  • 1995:
    • R released as Open-Source Software
  • 1993:
    • Started as a research project (Auckland, New Zealand)
    • Initial work announced on the s-news mailing list

Sources