Founded in 2001 by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger, Wikipedia was created to provide a free and accessible online encyclopedia that anyone could edit. The idea came from Wales's vision of creating a collaborative platform where people could share knowledge and information on a wide range of topics. Wikipedia is currently owned and operated by the Wikimedia Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting free knowledge. Today, Wikipedia covers an extensive array of topics, including history, science, culture, politics, and entertainment. Based online, the platform allows users from around the world to contribute and edit articles, making it a vast resource for information. Wikipedia is known for its commitment to providing free access to knowledge and fostering a community of contributors who help keep the information up to date. One interesting fact: A unique aspect of Wikipedia is that it has millions of articles in multiple languages, making it one of the largest and most diverse sources of information on the internet. This multilingual approach allows people from different backgrounds to access knowledge in their native languages, promoting global understanding and collaboration.