Story perspectives

Wikipedia Turns 25: Celebrating Success Amid Controversy

1/14/2026

Summary

Story summary

Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger, co-founders of Wikipedia, launched the encyclopedia in 2001, and the English edition has over seven million entries, far above Britannica's 100,000.
The project faces controversies including edit wars, and Elon Musk labels it "Wokipedia."
Taha Yasseri, sociologist at Trinity College Dublin, discusses these challenges.
As Wikipedia marks its 25th anniversary in 2026, its commitment to free information remains, but debates about reliability and neutrality persist.

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Story summary

Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger, co-founders of Wikipedia, launched the encyclopedia in 2001, and the English edition has over seven million entries, far above Britannica's 100,000.
The project faces controversies including edit wars, and Elon Musk labels it "Wokipedia."
Taha Yasseri, sociologist at Trinity College Dublin, discusses these challenges.
As Wikipedia marks its 25th anniversary in 2026, its commitment to free information remains, but debates about reliability and neutrality persist.