The Opera web browser, developed by the Oslo, Norway based Opera Software Company, has grown 15 year old today! Yes, today is Opera web browser’s 15th birthday! The Opera Software Company is celebrating Opera web browser’s 15th birthday!

Well, the Opera web browser was conceived fifteen years ago, in 1994, by two computer scientists in a research lab that is today Telenor, Norway's telecommunications incumbent. The CEO of Opera Software, Jon von Tetzchner and Geir Ivarsøy began coding the original desktop Web browser in April 1994.

In a statement, Jon von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera, said, "Geir and I knew the Web would forever change how people live, work and play--the Web browser would be the tool to enable that transformation. Today, I am humbled by what our company, together with the worldwide community of Opera users, has achieved. In the next 15 years, billions of people will join the Web. I am confident we will give them even more reasons to choose Opera. Everyone deserves a good browser, regardless of how or where they connect to the Web."

The Opera web browser was first released publicly with version 2.0 in 1996, which only ran on Microsoft Windows. Thus, some people are saying that the company is celebrating little early. The company is probably celebrating the time when the idea of Opera web browser was conceived; when two computer scientists started working to develop Opera web browser.  

Opera Software Company has claimed that the Opera web browser is used by about 40 million people on their Windows, Mac and Linux computers. The company released the mobile version of Opera web browser in 1998. The company released version 4.0 in 2000, version 8.5 in 2005, and version 9.1 in 2006. The company also released editions of Opera web browser for Nintendo's DS and Wii gaming systems in 2006.