WordPress celebrates its 20th anniversary this week, marking two decades of content creation, innovation, and community contributions. The platform has grown from a small open-source project to dominate the web, powering more than 43% of all websites and 63% of sites built with a content management system.
A Brief History of WordPress and the World
WordPress has evolved significantly through numerous versions, with each iteration bringing improvements for creating better digital experiences. To commemorate this milestone, WP Engine created an interactive site that recreates the look and feel of WordPress version 1.0, allowing visitors to reflect on the platform’s transformation.
The anniversary site features a timeline of major WordPress version updates alongside cultural touchstones from each era, including sports moments, memes, celebrities, news events, and technological advances that occurred during each major release.
WP Engine’s 13-Year Journey
Coinciding with WordPress’s 20th anniversary is WP Engine’s 13th founding anniversary. The company has evolved alongside WordPress, refining its platform and services to meet community needs. The anniversary site includes behind-the-scenes images from WP Engine’s early days, showcasing how much both organizations have transformed.
Community Recognition
From core contributors to plugin developers, theme designers to documentation writers, the collective effort of thousands of individuals has made WordPress the powerhouse it is today. Here’s to the next twenty years.