From its humble beginnings to becoming the world’s largest online encyclopedia, this timeline explores the fascinating evolution of Wikipedia.
2000s: The Birth of Wikipedia
January 15, 2001:
Wikipedia is officially launched by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger as an English-language project, inviting the world to participate in its open-source knowledge platform. Wikipedia.
February 2001:
Wikipedia introduces the “Recent Changes” page, allowing users to track updates and promote transparency and accountability in content editing. Wired.
October 2001:
The first international version of Wikipedia goes live with articles in German, which expands Wikipedia’s reach and sets the stage for more language editions. The Verge.
July 2003:
The Wikimedia Foundation is established as a non-profit organization to oversee Wikipedia and its sister projects. Wikimedia Foundation.
June 2005:
Wikipedia becomes the most popular reference site on the internet, showcasing its rapid growth and user trust in its content. Wikipedia.
December 2005:
The journal *Nature* conducts a study finding Wikipedia’s accuracy comparable to that of *Encyclopædia Britannica*, boosting its credibility among skeptics. Nature.
2010s: Wikipedia’s Growth and New Horizons
January 2010:
Wikipedia hits 3 million articles in English, underscoring its place as the largest encyclopedia in history. Wikimedia Blog.
October 2011:
Wikipedia launches mobile editing features, expanding accessibility and allowing more users to contribute on the go. The Verge.
January 2012:
Wikipedia joins the SOPA blackout, a one-day protest against internet censorship legislation, underscoring its role in advocating for open internet rights. BBC.
July 2012:
Wikidata, a structured data project, is launched to centralize and share factual information across language editions, enhancing consistency and data integrity. Wikidata.
November 2015:
The Wikipedia Library is introduced, providing contributors with access to a vast range of sources, fostering accuracy and deepening content quality. Wikimedia Foundation.
2020s: Furthering Knowledge Access
March 2020:
Wikipedia’s pandemic response begins, with editors adding extensive COVID-19 information, underscoring its role as a primary information source in crises. NPR.
January 15, 2021:
Wikipedia celebrates its 20th anniversary, marking two decades of collaborative knowledge-sharing and educational outreach. Wikimedia Blog.
July 21, 2021:
Wikipedia co-founder: I no longer trust the website I created
Chances are, if you’ve ever been on the internet, you’ve visited Wikipedia. It is the world’s fifth largest website, pulling in an estimated 6.1 billion followers per month and serves as a cheat sheet for almost any topic in the world. So great is the online encyclopaedia’s influence is so great that it is the biggest and “most read reference work in history”, with as many as 56 million editions. But the truth about this supposedly neutral purveyor of information is a little more complex. Historically, Wikipedia has been written and monitored by a community of volunteers who collaborated and contested competing claims with one another. In the words of Wikipedia’s co-founder, Larry Sanger who spoke to Freddie Sayers on LockdownTV, these volunteers would “battle it out”. This battle of ideas on Wikipedia’s platform formed a crucial part of the encyclopaedia’s commitment to neutrality, which according to Sanger, was abandoned after 2009. In the years since, on issues ranging from Covid to Joe Biden, it has become increasingly partisan, primarily espousing an establishment viewpoint that increasingly represents “propaganda”. This, says Sanger, is why he left the site in 2007, describing it as “broken beyond repair”.
October 2021:
The Wikimedia Enterprise initiative is launched to provide companies with data services, ensuring Wikipedia’s sustainability and increased data accessibility. TechCrunch.
June 2022:
Wikipedia announces plans to revamp its user interface to improve readability and functionality, a reflection of its commitment to user experience. Wired.
Wikipedia’s journey from a small, experimental project to the world’s most comprehensive knowledge repository is a testament to the power of collaboration and open-source culture. As it continues to adapt to the digital age, Wikipedia remains a vital and hotly debated resource for millions and a beacon for freely accessible information.
