Today, WordPress is responsible for powering over a quarter of the websites in the world. It came this far in just over a decade, and it’s showing no signs of stopping. WordPress is one of the world’s top content management systems and for the company’s leadership like Matt Mullenweg, the journey is just beginning.
Where did this incredible program come from? Today we’ll look at the humble beginnings of WordPress, followed by an infographic that tracks its meteoric growth from then until now.
The Birth of WordPress: 2003-2004
WordPress is a household name, but it came from an obscure origin. If we go all the way back to 2001, this was when Michael Valdrighi created B2 Cafelog. This original concept only lasted until 2003, when development completely ceased on the platform.
Enter Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little. These two were sad to see progress come to a halt on B2, so they decide to team up and create a fork of the program which they called WordPress. This platform that was destined for greatness hit the internet in May of 2003.
In January of 2004, the 1.0 version came and brought with it many of the features we know and love about the platform today. In May of that same year, plugins were released in the 1.2 version (known as Mingus). It was through innovations like these that WordPress became the go-to platform for beginners.
These small introductions would send massive waves through the industry. While today, starting a WordPress blog is as natural as breathing, back in 2004 the journey was just beginning.
The Rise of WordPress (Infographic)
Now that we’ve seen the beginnings of WordPress, it’s time to see how it rose to greatness. Check out the infographic below for a detailed look at this rise to success. Let us know what you like about WordPress in the comments!
End Note: The Grand Plan
WordPress will continue to evolve – something that it does best. What’s the future of WordPress? Here’s a glimpse of it:
- In 2020, WordPress will be seamlessly-linked with YouTube, allowing users to share YouTube videos directly in a post, as well as automatically updating user’s YouTube channel whenever a post is published via the WordPress platform.
- In 2020, WordPress developers will be able to create apps while in the WordPress environment, seamlessly sending the app from/to the WordPress App Directory.
- And more to come!
Who’s benefiting from the continuous development? You and I, the end use