Key milestones:
| Date | Version | Size | Zipped |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2006 | 1.0 | 16.7 kB | 8.8 kB |
| Jul 2007 | 1.1.3 | 20.9 kB | 10.9 kB |
| May 2008 | 1.2.6 | 54.4 kB | 16.6 kB |
| Feb 2009 | 1.3.2 | 55.9 kB | 19.4 kB |
| Jan 2010 | 1.4 | 68.2 kB | 23.3 kB |
jQuery has grown very large over the years. Of course, it has also added much new functionality. However, I wonder if we will see jQuery Lite — a return to its 20+ kB roots, perhaps.
(A typical webpage may have just 3-10 kB of compressed JavaScript. Compare this to jQuery/jQuery UI's 50+ kB — the library is far bigger!)
What is so attractive about jQuery?
I'll have to say it is (i) easy-to-use, (ii) lite and, (iii) easily extensible.
Easy to use: jQuery makes it so much easier to manipulate the DOM. Its small size that makes it a no-brainer to use. However, it is not always true now.
Lite: jQuery is a library, not a framework. You can use any one of its functions standalone without having to learn anything else.
Extensible: it is trivial to add your own functions to jQuery.
jQuery is such a game-changer for me that I've decided to contribute to its cause — I've donated US$10 to them. 
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