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Joomla Turns 21: Milestones From the 2005 Mambo Fork to Joomla 6.1
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Joomla turns 21 on August 17, 2026 β 21 years since a group of Mambo core developers forked the code on August 17, 2005 and launched what became the Joomla project. Today the CMS runs on the Joomla 6.x series (currently 6.1.2), maintained by the nonprofit Open Source Matters, Inc.
Every August 17, the Joomla community marks the day a small group of developers walked away from Mambo and started something new. Two decades and one year later, that fork still powers millions of websites worldwide. Here's what happened on that day in 2005, how Joomla got from version 1.0 to the current 6.x series, and where the project stands going into its 22nd year.
How Joomla Started: The Mambo Fork of August 2005
On August 17, 2005, a group of roughly nineteen core developers working on the Mambo content management system announced they were leaving the project and forking its code. The split was driven by disagreements over how a commercial company was influencing an open-source project. Two weeks later, on September 1, 2005, the community settled on a name for the new project: Joomla β an anglicized spelling of the Swahili word jumla, meaning "all together." The first release, Joomla 1.0, shipped later that same month.
Why August 17 and not the 1.0 release date?
The community has debated this for years β the fork announcement (Aug 17), the naming (Sept 1), and the 1.0 launch (mid-to-late Sept 2005) are three different dates. Joomla's own project has consistently marked August 17 as the official anniversary, since that's the day the new project effectively came into being.
From Fork to Framework: 21 Years of Joomla Milestones
Joomla's version history reflects a project that has repeatedly rebuilt itself rather than coasting on its early success. A few releases mark clear turning points:
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2005 | Fork from Mambo (Aug 17); name "Joomla!" announced (Sept 1); Joomla 1.0 released |
| 2008 | Joomla 1.5 released, establishing the project's first long-term-support standard |
| 2021 | Joomla 4 launched β overhauled admin UI, improved accessibility, SEO, and a new media manager |
| 2023 | Joomla 5 released β performance and security improvements, easier headless implementations |
| 2025 | Joomla 6.0 released (October), the current major version line |
| 2026 | Joomla 6.1 "Nyota" released (April 14), adding a graphical drag-and-drop workflow editor |
Where Joomla Stands Going Into Year 22
As of this anniversary, the actively maintained release lines are Joomla 6.x and Joomla 5.x, with the latest security and bugfix release being Joomla 6.1.2 and 5.4.7. The project remains volunteer-run under the nonprofit Open Source Matters, Inc., and continues to ship regular security and bugfix updates rather than long gaps between releases.
The community's next big in-person gathering is the Joomla World Conference, scheduled for October 16β18, 2026 in Potsdam/Berlin, Germany. On the development side, the team has been experimenting with AI integration through MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers, though as of this writing that work is still an early proof-of-concept without a confirmed release target β worth watching, not something to build a workflow around yet.
Why a 21-Year-Old CMS Still Matters
Joomla's longevity comes down to two things that haven't changed since 2005: it's still fully open-source under the GPL, and it's still run by a volunteer community rather than a single company with an exit strategy. That's also its trade-off β feature velocity can lag behind venture-backed competitors β but it means the roadmap doesn't disappear if one company changes direction.
If you're running a Joomla site today, the ecosystem of themes and extensions is still one of the platform's biggest practical advantages. MonsterONE's Joomla marketplace remains one of the largest sources for both.
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FAQ: Joomla's 21st Anniversary
When was Joomla founded?
Joomla began on August 17, 2005, when a group of Mambo core developers forked that CMS's code. The name "Joomla!" was announced two weeks later, on September 1, 2005.
Why is August 17 celebrated as Joomla's birthday instead of the 1.0 release date?
August 17 is the day the fork from Mambo was announced β the moment the project effectively started, even though the first stable release (1.0) shipped a few weeks later in September 2005.
What does the name "Joomla" mean?
Joomla is an anglicized spelling of the Swahili word jumla, which means "all together" β a reference to the collaborative, community-driven nature of the project.
What is the latest version of Joomla in 2026?
The current major release line is Joomla 6.x, with 6.1.2 as the latest security and bugfix release. Joomla 5.x (currently 5.4.7) is still actively maintained in parallel.
Is Joomla still actively maintained?
Yes. Joomla is maintained by the nonprofit Open Source Matters, Inc. and its volunteer community, with regular security and bugfix releases and an in-person World Conference planned for October 2026.
Where can I find Joomla themes and extensions?
The Joomla Extensions Directory (JED) lists free and commercial extensions, and marketplaces like Envato offer premium Joomla themes and extensions.
Stephen
CEO, Founder & Joomla Product Creator
Stephen is the CEO and Founder of Jlvextension, known for creating high-quality Joomla templates and leading the development of innovative web solutions.
