Wikipedia Day

Wikipedia Day is an international holiday celebrating the creation of the world’s largest and most comprehensive online information resource. Observed annually on January 15, Wikipedia provides free access to millions of articles—helpful for expanding your knowledge or preparing academic, scientific, and student papers.

History

Before Wikipedia, finding reliable information online was often challenging, as facts were scattered across countless websites and their accuracy was hard to verify. This changed with the launch of Wikipedia, operated by the nonprofit Wikimedia Foundation.

January 15 became a landmark date for internet users worldwide in 2001, when Wikipedia was created and its first edits were made. The story of the site began a few years earlier, in 1996, when Jimmy Wales founded the Bomis company, focused on developing web portals. In the spring of 2000, he launched Nupedia—the world’s first free online encyclopedia. A year later, wiki software was integrated, and the project received its own separate site, becoming known as Wikipedia.

Today, Wikipedia is an independent source where anyone can find information on nearly any topic. Thousands of volunteers contribute daily, writing new articles and constantly updating existing ones with relevant data.

Interesting Facts

• Wikipedia has over 35 million registered users, but only about 200,000–300,000 actively edit articles.
• The reliability of Wikipedia is comparable to the respected Encyclopædia Britannica, but its article count is in the millions.
• There is a Wikipedia anthem based on The Eagles’ song “Hotel California.”

How to Take Part

On Wikipedia Day, explore interesting articles on the Wikipedia website—the selection is endless! You can also register and become one of the thousands of contributors, helping Wikipedia grow by editing and writing articles.

Share information about the holiday on social media. Talk about how often you use the online encyclopedia, and share stories of how Wikipedia has helped you.

When is Wikipedia Day in 2026?

Wikipedia Day is observed on January 15 each year.

Observations