Brendan has confirmed many times that they were instructed to copy the Java Date API exactly. Here's one: https://brendaneich.com/2011/06/new-javascript-engine-

Brendan has confirmed many times that they were instructed to copy the Java Date API exactly. Here's one: https://brendaneich.com/2011/06/new-javascript-engine-module-owner/ https://brendaneich.com/2011/06/new-javascript-engine-module... "Ken Smith, a Netscape acquiree from Borland, ported JDK 1.0-era java.util.Date (we both just drafted off of the Java truck, per management orders; we did not demur from the Y2K bugs in that Java class)."