Some history

MySQL was created by Michael “Monty” Widenius, David Axmark, and Allan Larsson.
The first version was based on the low-level ISAM storage engine, which was later replaced by MyISAM.

• SQL interface with a C-based core
• MyISAM storage engine (non-transactional)
• Fast read performance
• GPL licensing (from 2000 onward)

Milestones

From 2001 until 2008 gain traction in the LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP/Python/Perl), becoming the default database for web applications.

• MySQL 4.0 (2003): Introduced query caching and SSL support.
• MySQL 4.1 (2004): Added subqueries, prepared statements, and Unicode support.
• MySQL 5.0 (2005): A landmark release with stored procedures, triggers, views, and information schema.

Technical Leap

• Introduction of InnoDB as a transactional storage engine with ACID compliance and foreign key support.
  • This was one of the most pivotal moments in MySQL’s 30-year journey and InnoDB became the default storage engine.
  • This marked a significant evolution from a lightweight, read-optimized database to a fully-fledged, enterprise-grade relational database management system.
  • Before InnoDB, MySQL primarily used the MyISAM storage engine, which was fast but lacked support for transactions and foreign keys.
  • InnoDB brought Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, and Durabilityto MySQL, enabling reliable transaction processing. This made MySQL suitable for mission-critical applications where data integrity is paramount.
  • InnoDB enabled referential integrity, allowing developers to define relationships between tables and enforce data consistency automatically.
  • InnoDB ensures data durability even in the event of a system crash, with its redo logs and doublewrite buffer.

• Pluggable storage Engine Architecture
  • Introduced in MySQL 5.1, this modular design allowed developers and vendors to choose engine was the best for the job.
  • MyISAM for fast reads, or MEMORY for in-memory operations.
  • Extended the capabilities, like compression and NDB for clustering.

Acquisition

Sun Microsystems acquired MySQL AB in 2008.
Just two years later, Oracle Corporation acquired Sun, and with it, MySQL.

Fears of stagnation under Oracle led to the birth of forks like MariaDB (by Monty) and Percona Server.

Despite initial skepticism, Oracle invested heavily in MySQL’s development from 2010 until 2020.

Some important releases:

• MySQL 5.5 (2010): InnoDB became the default engine.
• MySQL 5.6 (2013): Introduced GTIDs (Global Transaction Identifiers), Performance Schema, and full-text search in InnoDB.
• MySQL 5.7 (2015): JSON support, native replication enhancements, and improved optimizer.
• MySQL 8.0 (2018): A major overhaul with:
  • Window functions
  • Common Table Expressions (CTEs)
  • Roles and improved security
  • Native JSON functions
  • Histograms and invisible indexes

The Cloud and HeatWave

In 2020 MySQL embraced the cloud with MySQL HeatWave, a cloud-native, in-memory query accelerator integrated with MySQL Database Service on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI).

HeatWave features:

• Real-time analytics on transactional data
• In-memory columnar engine
• Machine learning integration (AutoML)
• Support for hybrid transactional/analytical processing (HTAP)

other MySQL related improvements:

• MySQL Shell: A modern CLI with scripting support (JavaScript, Python, SQL).
• MySQL Router: Transparent routing for HA setups.
• InnoDB Cluster: Native high availability with Group Replication.

Now we are celebrating 30 years of MySQL and the story continues (see lifecycle and versioning):

Secure, Scalable, and Smarter — MySQL v8.4 is Built for the Future.

Good to known is that MySQL v8.4 is an LTS release, and we advise upgrading, if possible, because MySQL v8.0 (also LTS) is out of support since April the 30^th of 2025, extended support will end on April the 30^th of 2026.

MySQL still matters

Because we belief in this database technology and it’s Open-Source.
Also, rich tooling, vibrant community, and extensive documentation.
Continues to be optimized for both OLTP and OLAP workloads.
Modular architecture with pluggable engines and cloud-native capabilities.