Before Barbie, there was Bild Lilli, a 1950s German doll based on a comic strip and made for adults. Her design inspired Mattel’s Barbie, showing how one idea can evolve from novelty to global icon. Explore the Bild Lilli world ➡️ w.wiki/FSwo

Forget Santa. In Iceland, the Yule Cat judges your outfit 🎅🏼 Jólakötturinn is said to roam snowy fields at Christmas, devouring anyone who hasn’t received new clothes before Christmas Eve. 🧵⬇️ (1/3)

Wikipedia is built by humans. Every day, volunteers from all over the world add to the sum of all human knowledge. One edit, one citation, one byte of data at a time.

When the longest night arrives, Iranians answer with pomegranates and poetry. Yalda Night marks the winter solstice, when families share fruit, recite Hafez, and turn darkness into celebration. Celebrate Yalda Night by learning more ➡️ w.wiki/FSwk

Free knowledge sounds good in any language. Over the course of 2025, volunteer editors made a total of 78,952,894 changes on 300+ different language editions of Wikipedia.

Christmas Day is fast approaching... At least in some places 🎄 Find your newest Christmas tradition on Wikipedia ➡️ w.wiki/8asw

Long before we could share our faces on Instagram, the Olmec carved stone head-portraits of their leaders. These colossal heads date from at least 900 BCE and range from just over a meter to more than three meters in height. 🧵⬇️ (1/4)

25 years of debate, discussion, and understanding. Consensus isn’t easy, but it’s human. Donate now ➡️ donate.wikipedia25.org #Wikipedia25

It's a new day, and that means a new batch of Verge articles are completely free to read (until tomorow). First up, from @joshdzieza.bsky.social: The world’s largest encyclopedia became the factual foundation of the web, but now it’s under attack. www.theverge.com/cs/features/...

Two and a half centuries after her birth, Jane Austen remains a master of social wit. Born in December 1775, she wrote six novels that examine manners, morals, and the marriage market, and she published anonymously in her lifetime. 🧵⬇️ (1/2)

No one could have predicted 25 years ago that Wikipedia would grow into the backbone of knowledge on the internet it is today, powering search engines, voice assistants, and generative AI tools. 🧵⬇️ (1/3)

Traffic jams made of crabs? Welcome to Christmas Island. Each year, millions of red crabs march from the forest to the sea to spawn, halting traffic and carpeting the ground in crimson. Don't be crabby, learn more ➡️ w.wiki/3peA

In art, chiaroscuro is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark. This innovative and ever-present art technique served as inspiration for "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33", which was recently selected Game of the Year by the Game Awards 2025. Learn more ➡️ w.wiki/3f5C

Billions of pageviews, millions of unique devices, and hundreds of languages tell the same story. In an age of rising misinformation and fleeting headlines, Wikipedia remains a cornerstone for reliable information online. 🧵⬇️ (1/4)

Two slits, one beam, and physics starts acting weird. In the double-slit experiment, a beam of light or matter passes through two slits and creates an interference pattern as if it has gone through both at once. 🧵⬇️ (1/4)

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How many minutes did you spend on Wikipedia this year? If you used the official Wikipedia app in 2025, you can check your own statistics. It’s a mirror for your curiosity. And if you didn't, now is a great time to start!

In the early 1980s, the North American video game market became saturated with consoles and low-quality titles, eroding consumer confidence. Home video game revenue fell from billions in 1983 to mere millions by 1985. 🧵⬇️ (1/4)

Remember when social feeds started serving up AI crocodiles and spaghetti cats with faux Italian names? Why? 🧵⬇️ (1/4)

Feeling guilty about the never-ending pile of unread books taking space on your shelf? Just say you are practicing tsundoku! Wikipedia's tsundoku article is considered a stub, or a very basic description of the topic. Consider improving it with reliable sources ➡️ w.wiki/7vhv

Wikipedia is a reflection of the world and the people who live in it. Topics ranging from serious news to pop culture (and everything in between) rise to prominence on Wikipedia as curious people want to learn more.

Brains often act like hype men for their own beliefs. Confirmation bias is our tendency to favor information that supports what we already think while dismissing what does not. Challenge your beliefs ➡️ w.wiki/J7S

When news breaks or curiosity strikes, people around the world turn to a free volunteer-run encyclopedia to make sense of what’s happening. In a chaotic online landscape, Wikipedia remains a trusted first stop destination for millions worldwide.

AI is powered by Wikipedia, the world’s greatest online knowledge resource. For 25 years, editors around the world have shaped the knowledge that shapes the future. #Wikipedia25

Candlelit corners, warm blankets, and quiet moments have their own special word in Danish. “Hygge” describes a cozy, contented mood created by comfort and conviviality. 🧵⬇️ (1/3)

After first being proposed in 1932, the Universal Product Code was used to scan its first ever product in June 1974. The purchase? A 67 cent pack of gum. Discover the fascinating composition that keeps track of your purchases ➡️ w.wiki/8WaG

Squash and pumpkin are culinary chameleons, appearing even where you do not expect them.

In the early 20th century, city parents devised a way to give babies fresh air without yards or balconies: the baby cage. Popular in 1920s–30s London and New York, they were marketed as modern childcare and even supplied by councils. Hang out at the article for more knowledge ➡️ w.wiki/FaXp

The knight’s tour is a puzzle where a knight must visit every square of a chessboard exactly once, following its L-shaped movement pattern. Documented since the Middle Ages, it links to graph theory, combinatorics, and recreational mathematics. 🧵⬇️ (1/3)

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Can you repeat this without losing your breath? In New Zealand, the hill Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu has gained a measure of fame as it is the longest place name found in any English-speaking country. Get tongue twisted ➡️ w.wiki/3BMr

Do you have someone who is not quite a friend, not quite an enemy? Tag them. (Just kidding.)  The word "frenemy" combines the two roles to describe someone with whom one remains cordial despite underlying tension or rivalry. Shake hands with more knowledge ➡️ w.wiki/_zL2d

CROATOAN 🌲 This English attempt to settle in North America ended with a mystery.  In 1587, settlers established a colony on Roanoke Island, now part of North Carolina. Governor John White returned to England for supplies and did not make it back for three years due to war. 🧵⬇️ (1/3)

In South Asian folklore, bhootas are restless spirits believed to linger after death. People protect themselves by hanging charms, placing iron objects by doorways, or burning turmeric. Stories warn against walking alone and blend fear and humor. Get more bhoota facts ➡️ w.wiki/FLhg

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On this day in 2019, NASA astronaut Christina Koch made the first edit to a Wikipedia article from outer space 🚀 Koch corrected details in the description of the spacewalk tasks in the "List of spacewalks 2015–2024" article (titled "List of spacewalks since 2015" at the time).

The Banach–Tarski paradox is a theorem in set‑theoretic geometry. It shows a solid ball can be divided into a finite number of pieces and reassembled into two identical balls without stretching or adding material. 🧵⬇️ (1/3)

Few facial features have shifted fashion as much as the moustache. From French, Italian, and Greek roots, this strip of hair above the lip has stood for style, maturity, and authority across cultures. More ➡️ w.wiki/C5jq

This fishing method has stuck around due to strong community efforts and cultural preservation initiatives. Only a handful of families still practice it, and they’ve turned it into both a living tradition and a tourist spectacle. Learn more ➡️ w.wiki/G5mJ

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Sound can do more than carry music; high‑intensity sound waves can lift small objects. Acoustic levitation uses standing sound waves to suspend solids, liquids, or droplets in midair. 🧵⬇️ (1/4)

City transit is not just for humans. These animals are not commuting for work; they are seeking comfort, food, and safety. Their behavior highlights how urban wildlife adapts to human environments. It also challenges our ideas about public space.  Hitch a ride to more info ➡️ w.wiki/FP3C

Ever seen a car smile at you? That's apophenia. From faces on Mars to Jesus on toast, these curiosities likely stem from mistaken identification and our brains’ overinterpretation of what our eyes see. Learn more about our brains' desire to make connections and identify patterns ➡️ w.wiki/4wUF

Guru Nanak Gurpurab celebrates the founder of Sikhism’s birth. Festivities begin with predawn Prabhat Pheris of devotional singing. A 48‑hour reading of the "Guru Granth Sahib" and, the day before, a grand street procession with the Sikh flag and scriptures lead into the main day. 🧵⬇️ (1/2)

This Korean art means gathering place + sound. Pansori performances can last for hours and draw on tales like "Chunhyangga" and "Sugungga". Born as folk entertainment, pansori is now a recognized cultural treasure. Drum up more knowledge ➡️ w.wiki/FLhX

Celebrate World Sandwich Day by exploring the origin of this convenient meal 🥪 Legend says the Fourth Earl of Sandwich asked for meat between slices of bread so he could continue playing cards or working without greasy hands. 🧵⬇️ (1/2)

Across the International Space Station's modules, hundreds of experiments explore how life, materials, and even stars behave in microgravity. Orbit more cosmic knowledge ➡️ w.wiki/tTY

Families build home altars during Mexico’s Day of the Dead. These ofrendas hold photos, candles, flowers, food, and personal belongings. They are visual and spiritual offerings welcoming the spirits of loved ones. 🧵⬇️ (1/4)

What’s 6 + 7? If you said "six seven", you’re in on the internet’s latest joke. Born from Skrilla’s track "Doot Doot (6 7)", it spread through TikTok edits, basketball memes, and viral moments. Now a symbol of Gen Alpha humor, "67" was named Dictionary.com 's word of the year. ➡️ w.wiki/FGo7

Three days, three traditions: Allhallowtide links Halloween, All Saints’ Day, and All Souls’ Day. Also called Hallowtide or Allsaintstide, it is a three‑day Western Christian season. 🧵⬇️ (1/3)