Release of Java 2 Platform (J2SE, J2EE, J2ME)

Sun Microsystems released Java 2, which formalized the platform into three editions: Standard Edition (J2SE), Enterprise Edition (J2EE), and Micro Edition (J2ME).

Significance

This release marked a major maturation of Java, clearly delineating its scope for desktop/client, server/enterprise, and embedded/mobile development, solidifying its role across diverse computing domains.