Happy 30th Birthday, PHP – A TYPO3 Tribute

Yesterday, June 8th, 2025, marked an extraordinary milestone in the world of web development: PHP turned 30! For the TYPO3 community, this isn't just another anniversary — it's a celebration of the language that has been the beating heart of our beloved CMS for over two decades.

In this blog, we celebrate a remarkable milestone in web history — PHP’s 30th birthday — and reflect on its deep connection with TYPO3, one of the world’s most trusted open-source content management systems. 

Let's start the celebration!

Three Decades of Partnership, Innovation, and Community

PHP has been more than just a scripting language for TYPO3—it’s been the engine behind our creativity, the core of our CMS, and a partner in every major breakthrough we've achieved. Since TYPO3’s first release in 1998, PHP has provided the perfect foundation for innovation, flexibility, and open-source spirit. This partnership has shaped not only software, but also careers, companies, and global communities.

When Kasper Skårhøj released TYPO3 in 1998, he chose PHP as its foundation — a decision that would shape the destiny of thousands of websites and millions of users worldwide. PHP's flexibility, accessibility, and continuous evolution have allowed TYPO3 to grow from a personal project into one of the most powerful enterprise content management systems on the planet.

A Short Love Poem from TYPO3

Blue elephant turns thirty, mighty and bold;
Orange shield beside it, stories retold.
Together they shape the web we see—
Happy birthday, PHP, from TYPO3!

The Early Days (1995-2000)

• 1995: Rasmus Lerdorf creates PHP/FI, never imagining it would power future digital empires
• 1998: TYPO3 is born, written in PHP 3, bringing enterprise CMS capabilities to the open source world
• 2000: PHP 4 arrives with the Zend Engine, and TYPO3 embraces the performance boost

Growing Together (2000-2010)

• 2004: PHP 5 introduces proper OOP, and TYPO3 developers rejoice with new architectural possibilities
• 2006: TYPO3 4.0 launches, leveraging PHP's maturity to deliver enterprise features
• 2008: The TYPO3 community celebrates 10 years, grateful for PHP's stable foundation

Modern Era (2010-2025)

• 2015: PHP 7 revolutionizes performance — TYPO3 sites run faster than ever
• 2020: TYPO3 v10 requires PHP 7.2+, embracing modern PHP features
• 2024: TYPO3 v13 leverages PHP 8.3's cutting-edge capabilities
• 2025: Here we are, celebrating 30 years of PHP innovation!

Happy 30th Birthday, PHP! Without you, TYPO3 wouldn't exist. You've given us the tools to build not just websites, but careers, communities, and friendships that span the globe.    — T3Planet

“PHP taught me that programming doesn't have to be complicated to be powerful. 30 years later, I'm still amazed by what we can create together.” — TYPO3 Lover

From <?php echo 'Hello World'; ?> to complex enterprise solutions — PHP, you've been with us every step of the way. Here's to 30 more years!"— A PHP Fan
 

The "Aha!" Moments

Remember your first successful TYPO3 extension? That magical moment when your PHP code brought your idea to life? Thousands of developers share that same memory — the joy of seeing their TypoScript and PHP work in perfect harmony.

The Community Sprints

TYPO3 code sprints have brought developers together to write PHP code that powers millions of websites. The smell of coffee, the sound of keyboards, and the occasional "Eureka!" when solving a complex PHP challenge — these are the moments that define us.

The Evolution Stories

Watching PHP evolve from a simple scripting language to a modern, typed, performance-oriented powerhouse has been like watching a friend grow up. Each new PHP version brought new possibilities to TYPO3:

• Namespaces transformed our extension architecture
• Traits made code reusability elegant
• Type declarations brought enterprise-level reliability
• Attributes opened new frontiers for configuration

The PHP Foundation now backs ten core contributors full- or part-time, ensuring PHP keeps evolving responsibly (php.foundation). TYPO3’s keep regularly supports these efforts—proof that healthy ecosystems pay it forward.

As we celebrate PHP's past, we're excited about the future. With PHP 8.4 on the horizon and TYPO3 continuously innovating, the partnership between these two open source giants shows no signs of slowing down.

What's Next?

• Performance: JIT compilation and further optimizations
• Developer Experience: Better tooling, clearer syntax, stronger typing
• Community Growth: New developers discovering the joy of PHP through TYPO3
• Innovation: AI integration, edge computing, and whatever the future holds

How has PHP shaped your TYPO3 journey? Share your stories, memories, and birthday wishes:

• Join PHPverse 2025 on 17 June—keynotes from Nicolas Grekas, Taylor Otwell, the PHP Foundation & more (php.net, stitcher.io)
• Upgrade a Site: Give an old TYPO3 project the gift of PHP 8.2.
• Contribute: Review an open pull request, write docs, or test TYPO3 14 alpha
• Post on social media with #PHP30 #TYPO3
• Share your first PHP/TYPO3 code snippet
• Thank a PHP contributor who's made a difference
• Contribute to an open source PHP or TYPO3 project

PHP at 30 isn't just about age — it's about resilience, evolution, and community. It's about a language that refused to become obsolete, constantly reinventing itself while maintaining the simplicity that made it beloved.

For TYPO3, PHP isn't just a programming language — it's the foundation of our community, the enabler of our creativity, and the bond that unites developers across continents.

Here's to PHP: May your semicolons always be in the right place, your arrays always be traversable, and your community always be welcoming.

Happy 30th Birthday, PHP!

"PHP is a minor evil perpetrated and created by incompetent amateurs, whereas Perl is a great and insidious evil, perpetrated by skilled but perverted professionals." — Jon Ribbens

30 years later, we're still having fun proving the critics wrong.