English Wikipedia facts for kids
Logo of the English Wikipedia
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Screenshot
The homepage of the English Wikipedia in June 2020
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Type of site
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Internet encyclopedia project |
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| Available in | English |
| Owner | Wikimedia Foundation |
| Created by | English wiki community |
| Commercial | No |
| Registration | Optional, but needed for some tasks including
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| Launched | 15 January 2001 |
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Content license
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Creative Commons Attribution/ Share-Alike 3.0 (most text also dual-licensed under GFDL) Media licensing varies |
The English Wikipedia is the English version of the free online encyclopedia called Wikipedia. It was the very first Wikipedia to be created, starting on 15 January 2001. Today, it is the largest encyclopedia in the world. It is also the biggest version of Wikipedia. As of May 2020, it had more than 6,085,700 articles.
Other Wikipedias in different languages have copied some of its technical features. They have also copied how it is organized.
Contents
What is the English Wikipedia?
The English Wikipedia is a huge online encyclopedia. It is written and edited by many volunteers from all over the world. Anyone can usually edit most articles. This helps to keep the information up-to-date.
How Big is It?
The English Wikipedia is the largest encyclopedia ever created. It has millions of articles. This makes it a very big source of information for many topics.
Other English Wikipedias
There are other versions of Wikipedia that use English. The Simple English Wikipedia uses very basic English words. This makes it easier for people who are learning English to understand. There is also an Old English (Ænglisc/Anglo-Saxon) Wikipedia. It uses a much older form of the English language.
How People Use and Edit Wikipedia
Many people visit the English Wikipedia every day. Because it is so popular, many people might be editing articles at the same time. Editors can use a special feature called a "watchlist." This helps them keep track of changes to articles they care about. Some editors also use special tools. These tools help them find and fix vandalism, which is when someone tries to damage an article.
Different Opinions About Wikipedia
Some people have different opinions about how useful Wikipedia is. They might wonder if it is as good as other encyclopedias. Some people also think that the English Wikipedia might show some bias. This means that some topics might be presented in a way that favors one side. However, many people find Wikipedia very helpful. They like that it is so large and can be updated very quickly.
Important Events
In 2012, the logo of the English Wikipedia changed a little bit. Most other Wikipedias also changed their logos. However, some, like the Simple English Wikipedia, kept their older logo. On January 18, 2012, the English Wikipedia turned off its website for a day. This was a protest against some proposed laws.
Related pages
- Wikipedia administrators
- Simple English Wikipedia
- The English Wikipedia main page
- English Wikipedia Statistics Page
Images for kids
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Number of editors on the English Wikipedia over time.
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Edits to English Wikipedia by country as of January 2022
