The world's largest online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a special project called Wikipedia 25.
Wikipedia, the world's largest online encyclopedia, will celebrate its 25th anniversary on January 15, 2026. To commemorate this, the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit organization that runs Wikipedia, has announced a year-long commemorative project called ' Wikipedia 25. '
Wikipedia's 25th birthday celebration – Wikimedia Foundation
Wikipedia was launched on January 15, 2001, as a personal project by founder Jimmy Wales, and has been run by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation since June 2003. The Japanese version was launched in May 2001, and actual editing began in September 2002, when the Wikipedia system was made compatible with Japanese.
According to the Wikimedia Foundation, the Japanese version has a total of approximately 1.5 million articles, ranking 13th in the world in terms of pure article count, with a total of over 170 million edits, monthly views reaching approximately 1 billion page views, monthly editors numbering approximately 30,000, and active editors numbering approximately 8,000.
The official Wikipedia 25 website, titled the 'Documentary Series,' introduces eight volunteers, including a California resident who has been recording hurricanes and storms for 20 years, a doctor who shared important information about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) during the global pandemic, and a 70-year-old librarian who continues to provide knowledge in Japanese.
The Wikimedia Foundation is also celebrating Wikipedia's 25th anniversary with a 'Time Capsule.' In the Time Capsule, viewers can hear Welsh reminisce about Wikipedia's early days in his own words, including the moment he personally set up the first server. Visitors can also explore Wikipedia's role in major world events, such as the 2009 surge in traffic following Michael Jackson's death, which nearly crashed Wikipedia's servers. They can also delve deeper into some of Wikipedia's more quirky and fascinating aspects, like the story of Paul the Precognitive Octopus.
Additionally, a quiz has been released that allows people around the world to discover which vision of the future best suits them, showcasing a variety of visions for the future of Wikipedia.
Additionally, a global virtual launch event will be held at 1:00 AM Japan time on January 16th. Other planned events include Wikipedia's new digital mascot, 'Wiki-chan,' based on sketches by Wikipedia volunteers, appearing as a playful visual surprise on multiple Wikipedia languages, and special merchandise for sale.
Event:Wikipedia 25 Virtual Celebration Party - Meta-Wiki
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Event:Wikipedia_25_Virtual_Celebration/en
The Wikimedia Foundation, in its article titled ' The Future of Wikipedia in the Age of AI ,' lists five examples of how Wikipedia's importance as a foundation for the internet has grown as it has grown and evolved.
・Ensuring contributions from AI companies
Technology companies that rely on Wikipedia content must use it responsibly and support Wikipedia's sustainability into the future. One important way to do this is through the Wikimedia Enterprise platform. Developed by the Wikimedia Foundation, the platform is a voluntary commercial product for businesses that reuse and distribute Wikimedia content at scale. Google is a long-standing Wikimedia Enterprise partner.
Implementing a human-first AI strategy
The Wikimedia Foundation's updated AI strategy puts human editors at the heart of Wikipedia and directs future investment and development in AI to support them, freeing up editors' valuable time to focus on the goals they want to achieve, rather than on technical methods.
・Strengthening the technological base
Since 2001, Wikipedia's technology infrastructure has continuously improved, making it one of the most accessible and multilingual sites in the world. Wikipedia's desktop interface and dark mode updates significantly improved user accessibility, new data centers were launched, and load times were reduced. And Wikipedia apps for iOS and Android allow Wikipedia enthusiasts to access content directly on their mobile devices.
・Eliminate knowledge gaps
Today, Wikipedia knowledge has grown to be more representative and reflective of the world through a dedicated commitment to language translation and community-driven efforts to expand the range of volunteer editors and content on the site. Furthermore, Abstract Wikipedia aims to make Wikipedia's trusted information available in all languages. The project was also selected as one of five finalists in last year's MacArthur Foundation 100 & Change grant competition.
- Promoting participation from the next generation of readers and editors
Through new endeavors like online games and short-form content for social media, Wikipedia is exploring innovative ways to reach new users, respond to global trends, and meet the evolving needs of its users in a changing internet environment.
'In 2001, Wikipedia began as a dream: to share knowledge with everyone, everywhere. No one, including me, thought it would succeed then. However, despite all odds, Wikipedia has grown into the knowledge infrastructure of the Internet that it is today,' said Wales. 'Wikipedia embodies the past 25 years of humanity's history, and shows that when people come together in a spirit of trust and collaboration, the impossible becomes possible.'
by ZMcCune (WMF)
Mariana Iskander, CEO of the Wikimedia Foundation, said, 'Wikipedia is one of the Seven Wonders of the Digital World, and it is unique. It has overcome countless challenges and transformations thanks to the people behind it and their unwavering commitment to sharing free and trusted knowledge with the world. With billions of monthly visits and a continuing growth in the number of organizations that rely on Wikipedia's free and verified knowledge, the platform has become essential to the architecture of the entire internet.'
'Wikipedia shows that knowledge is human and that it is created by humans,' said Serena Deckelman, chief product and technology officer at the Wikimedia Foundation. 'Especially now, in the age of AI, we need human-powered knowledge like Wikipedia more than ever. With the continued support of our readers, volunteer editors, donors, partners, and fans around the world, Wikipedia will remain a vital home for human knowledge and collaboration online for the next 25 years and beyond.'
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