Wikipedia, the largest encyclopedia of the world, has turned 20 on 15th January 2021.
Started in January 2001 by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger, Wikipedia is among the 15 most popular websites in the world. It comes from two words: ‘Wiki’, a Hawaiian word that meaning ‘quick’ and ‘encyclopedia’. Overseen by a non-profit organisation called Wikimedia Foundation and funded primarily through donations, it is an ad-free site edited by volunteers.
Hope you like our new birthday look! #Wikipedia20 pic.twitter.com/PwPbgBL2FR
— Wikipedia (@Wikipedia) January 15, 2021
The size of Wikipedia is astounding: there are a whopping 55 million posts in more than 300 languages, and 270,000 active editors a month. It is edited more than 350 times per minute and read more than 8,000 times a second! Would you believe that this website is visited about 22 billion times by users each each month.
And how does this website work? Anyone that wants to change an article is permitted to do so, and people with more experience have more privileges. The editors follow a few fundamental principles, including that posts should have a neutral point of view with an impartial tone, that they should treat each other with respect, and that there are no firm rules.
In this age of misinformation, Wikipedia is possibly the safest place online!
A very happy birthday, Wikipedia!
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