Wikipedia Day / Wikipedia birthday2026 · Date · History
Wikimedia Meta-Wiki identifies January 15 as Wikipedia Day each year on the anniversary of Wikipedia’s birth, while the Wikimedia Foundation independently dates Wikipedia’s launch to January 15, 2001 and continues anniversary campaigns.
About Wikipedia Day / Wikipedia birthday
Wikipedia Day is a January 15 community anniversary marking Wikipedia’s launch on January 15, 2001.
Wikimedia Meta-Wiki describes Wikipedia Day as being celebrated each January 15, while the Wikimedia Foundation continues to mark major Wikipedia birthdays on the same date.
Why Wikipedia Day / Wikipedia birthday matters
The day is a community anniversary of the Wikipedia project and the volunteer collaboration behind it.
It is not presented here as a government holiday or as an observance created by a separate legal proclamation.
History of Wikipedia Day / Wikipedia birthday
Wikipedia launched on January 15, 2001.
Wikimedia’s community documentation identifies January 15 as Wikipedia Day and records local meetups and wiki-events around the anniversary.
Wikimedia Foundation anniversary campaigns have marked major milestones including the 20th and 25th birthdays on January 15.
The reviewed sources establish the recurring anniversary tradition, but do not identify a separate founding act that created “Wikipedia Day” apart from celebration of Wikipedia’s birthday.
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
8 fields not established in reviewed sources
Also known as
Wikipedia Day
How to Observe Wikipedia Day / Wikipedia birthday
Explore Wikipedia’s history through Wikimedia Foundation anniversary material.
Join or follow a Wikimedia community event when one is organized locally or online.
Learn how Wikipedia’s volunteer editing and sourcing processes work.
Improve an article responsibly by following the relevant language edition’s policies and reliable-source requirements.
Use the anniversary to learn about Wikimedia projects beyond Wikipedia.
Wikipedia Day / Wikipedia birthday Facts
Wikipedia Day is associated with January 15.
For Wikipedia Day / Wikipedia birthday, Wikipedia launched on January 15, 2001.
Wikimedia Meta-Wiki describes Wikipedia Day as a yearly anniversary celebration.
Local Wikipedia Day meetups and community events have been held in multiple places over the years.
The reviewed record treats the day as a Wikimedia community anniversary, not a statutory holiday.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
Wikimedia Foundation — Wikipedia 25 (opens in a new tab)
First Party Foundation
Wikimedia Foundation — Wikipedia celebrates 25 years (opens in a new tab)
First Party Foundation
Wikimedia Meta-Wiki — Wikipedia Day (opens in a new tab)
First Party Community
Wikimedia Foundation — Celebrating 20 years of Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is Wikipedia Day / Wikipedia birthday?
15 January annually The documented recurrence rule is: 15 January.
Does Wikipedia Day / Wikipedia birthday fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is Wikipedia Day / Wikipedia birthday an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: Wikimedia community / Wikipedia founding anniversary. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes Wikipedia Day / Wikipedia birthday?
The documented basis is: Wikimedia Meta-Wiki identifies January 15 as Wikipedia Day each year on the anniversary of Wikipedia’s birth, while the Wikimedia Foundation independently dates Wikipedia’s launch to January 15, 2001 and continues anniversary campaigns.. Supporting evidence includes Wikimedia Meta-Wiki — Wikipedia Day. The site does not infer a separate creator or founder unless reviewed evidence establishes one.
Is Wikipedia Day / Wikipedia birthday international or country-specific?
No single country is assigned to this observance. Its documented scope is: Wikimedia community / Wikipedia founding anniversary. Use that scope rather than assuming worldwide or country-specific status.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-10-01.
When is Wikipedia Day?
Wikipedia Day is celebrated on January 15, the anniversary of Wikipedia’s launch in 2001.
Why January 15?
January 15 is the date Wikipedia launched in 2001.
Who organizes Wikipedia Day?
There is no single exclusive organizer established in the reviewed sources. Wikimedia communities hold local and online events, while the Wikimedia Foundation marks major project anniversaries.
Is Wikipedia Day an official public holiday?
No public-holiday status is established. It is a community and project anniversary.
Other observances on January 15
These observances are also listed on January 15, 2027.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Founders’ Day
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated states that it was founded at Howard University on January 15, 1908, and its current first-party events calendar lists Founders Day on January 15. T…
Army Day (India)
India's Press Information Bureau states that Army Day is celebrated every year on January 15 and documents current Army Day observances.
Indian Army Day / Army Day
India Ministry of Defence sources verify Army Day every January 15, celebrated since 1949 to commemorate General K. M. Cariappa taking command; no civilian public-holiday status is inferred.