diff --git a/RELEASE_NOTES.txt b/RELEASE_NOTES.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..43c3035
--- /dev/null
+++ b/RELEASE_NOTES.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+2015 11/04
+
+Initial development of Karoo GP began in February 2015, on a Python-based evolutionary algorithm for an MSc research project at the University of Cape Town (UCT) / African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) and the Square Kilometer Array (SKA). The myriad debug statements evolved into the user interface and the classic Machine Learning test cases into the built-in example runs.
+
+In the end, Karoo GP became a fairly flexible, easy-to-use platform for Genetic Programming.
+
+With all development conducted locally, this version 0.9 marks the first release to GitHub.
+
+This initial release is private, with select collaborators only.
+
+Once a paper is published in conjunction with Karoo GP, the repository will be made public.
+
+
diff --git a/karoo_gp_base_class.py b/karoo_gp_base_class.py
index bb80303..5b0817d 100644
--- a/karoo_gp_base_class.py
+++ b/karoo_gp_base_class.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 # Define the Karoo GP methods and global variables
 # by Kai Staats, MSc UCT / AIMS
 # Much thanks to Emmanuel Dufourq and Arun Kumar for their support, guidance, and free psychotherapy sessions
+# version 0.9
 
 import csv
 import os
@@ -186,7 +187,7 @@ class Base_GP(object):
 		print '\t **   **  **    **  **   **  **    **  **    **     **    **  **'
 		print '\t **    ** **    **  **    **  ******    ******       ******   **'
 		print '\033[0;0m'
-		print '\t\033[36m Genetic Programming in Python - by Kai Staats\033[0;0m'
+		print '\t\033[36m Genetic Programming in Python - by Kai Staats, version 0.9\033[0;0m'
 		
 		if run == 'server':
 			print '\n\t Type \033[1m?\033[0;0m to configure Karoo GP before your run, or \033[1mENTER\033[0;0m to continue.\033[0;0m'
diff --git a/karoo_gp_main.py b/karoo_gp_main.py
index 5bcc7eb..c984af3 100644
--- a/karoo_gp_main.py
+++ b/karoo_gp_main.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 # Use Genetic Programming for Classification and Symbolic Regression
 # by Kai Staats, MSc UCT / AIMS
 # Much thanks to Emmanuel Dufourq and Arun Kumar for their support, guidance, and free psychotherapy sessions
+# version 0.9
 
 '''
 A NOTE TO THE NEWBIE, EXPERT, AND BRAVE
diff --git a/karoo_gp_server.py b/karoo_gp_server.py
index 473a960..b212a64 100644
--- a/karoo_gp_server.py
+++ b/karoo_gp_server.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 # Use Genetic Programming for Classification and Symbolic Regression
 # by Kai Staats, MSc UCT / AIMS
 # Much thanks to Emmanuel Dufourq and Arun Kumar for their support, guidance, and free psychotherapy sessions
+# version 0.9
 
 import sys # sys.path.append('modules/') # add the directory 'modules' to the current path
 import karoo_gp_base_class; gp = karoo_gp_base_class.Base_GP()