Wikipedia celebrates its 15th birthday

Wikipedia is celebrating its 15th birthday today. Fifteen years after it was launched in 2001, the free online encyclopedia is the seventh most popular website with more than 38 million write-ups and articles in 289 languages for which around 30,000 volunteers write for it and update it. One may be surprised to know that only six full time employees manage the website.

People around the world are celebrating the day by hosting their own events. Wikipedia's own article on its 15th birthday goes like this: "January 15 is known to Wikipedians as Wikipedia day. Before 2001, an encyclopedia could cost thousands of dollars, trees, water and ink, and let's face it, was really hard to carry around."

The article adds, "Today we can reach millions of referenced articles, photos, illustrations, sources, and word definitions from anywhere we can reach the internet. And the volunteers who have been creating this amazing work for 15 years don't charge anything for it. They want to share all knowledge with every person. Many of us have this opportunity right in our pockets."

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