Wikipedia celebrated its 20th anniversary on January 15, 2021, solidifying its position as the world's largest free, open-access, and collaborative encyclopedia, operating without advertisements and funded by donations. This milestone highlighted the resilience of the Wikimedia Foundation's model in keeping knowledge accessible through volunteers. Highlights of the 20th Anniversary (2021):
Global Celebration: Virtual events, edit-athons, and social media campaigns (#Wikipedia20) organized by the Wikimedia Foundation took place.
Impact and Reach: At the time, the platform had over 55 million articles in approximately 300 languages, maintained by 280,000 monthly volunteers. Role in the Pandemic: Wikipedia's role in disseminating reliable medical information about COVID-19 was highlighted. Looking to the Future: The focus was on "knowledge equity," aiming to increase the diversity of editors and content, combating gender and representation gaps. Wikimedia Foundation Wikimedia Foundation +2 The celebration highlighted that Wikipedia has evolved from an experimental project to a vital resource, surviving without advertising and funded by donations.