In commemorating the global celebration of the Free Online Encyclopedia – Wikipedia – as it clocks 24 on January 15 2025, the Igbo Wikimedians User Group community converged virtually on 15th February 2025 to celebrate Wikipedia 24 years of existence. In preparation for the celebration, there was a call for community members to send in their Wikipedia Birthday Goodwill video clips which were compiled together and played during the online celebration. This virtual celebration brought together Wikimedians, Wikipedians, and language advocates to commemorate this significant milestone. It also featured lots of activities and engagement some of which include Wikipedia Birthday song rendition, personal Wikipedia experience highlights, Wikipedia fun facts, Wikipedia Overview/Quiz, etc.
Wikipedia @24 Virtual Celebration
The event kicked off with a warm welcome address by Tochiprecious, the co-founder of the Igbo Wikimedians User Group. She expressed happinesss to witness another Wikipedia birthday and also to see more participants joining the celebration and emphasized the importance of Wikipedia in promoting free access to knowledge globally and also our indigenous languages. Tochiprecious shared some highlights about the Wikipedia presence and its availability in over 300+ different languages.
Fun Facts about Wikipedia: To get the celebration started, Macocobovi who moderated the session shared some fascinating fun facts about Wikipedia. Some of these fun-facts include: learning that Wikipedia is the largest online encyclopedia, with over 50 million articles in hundreds of languages, understanding that Wikipedia is maintained by a community of volunteer editors, who contribute their time and expertise to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the content and so many other fun-facts that got the participants curious and eager to learn more.
Sharing Wikipedia Experiences: The celebration also featured an interactive session where participants shared their personal experiences with Wikipedia. Some recounted how Wikipedia helped them with their academic research, others shared stories of how they contributed to the growth of Wikipedia in their local languages and while others shared about their experience of IP block while editing on English Wikipedia.
Wikipedia Goodwill Videos: To add some visual flair to the celebration, the Wikipedia Goodwill Video clips from members of the community was played. The video sparked interesting discussions and reflections on the significance of Wikipedia’s mission.
Birthday Song for Wikipedia: To wrap up the celebration, Chikerenma rendered heartfelt happy birthday song for Wikipedia. The joyful rendition was a fitting tribute to the world’s largest online encyclopedia, which has been empowering people with knowledge for 24 incredible years.
Conclusion
The virtual celebration which lasted for over an hour recorded over 30 participants and the Wikipedia’s 24th birthday was a resounding success. The event brought together a community of passionate individuals who share a common vision of promoting free knowledge and preserving cultural heritage. As we look forward to another year of growth and collaboration, we remain committed to supporting Wikipedia’s mission and promoting the Igbo language and culture online through it.
Missed the session? You can as well relive the Wikipedia 24 years celebration moments with the Igbo Wikimedians User Group through HERE!
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