Looking Wayback: Internet Archive 25th Anniversary
Internet Archive 25th Anniversary – Universal Access to All Knowledge


			Celebrate the Internet Archive's 25th Anniversary!
			
			As the Internet Archive turns 25, we invite you on a journey from way back to way forward, through the pivotal moments when knowledge became more accessible for all. On this anniversary page you can:

watch our virtual celebration
create a video anniversary message
tweet about how the Internet Archive has enhanced your life & work
dive deep into our stories, collections & important milestones in an interactive timeline
send us a donation for our birthday!

But first, go way back to 1996 when a young computer scientist named Brewster Kahle dreamed of building a “Library of Everything” for the digital age. A library containing all the published works of humankind, free to the public, built to last the ages. He named this digital library the Internet Archive. Its mission: to provide everyone with “Universal Access to All Knowledge.”
Read Brewster’s reflections on this 25 year milestone

			
						
			
			Key Moments in Access to Knowledge
			
				
				
												
												
								
								
								
									ExploreCollection								The Upanishads, foundation of Hinduism, are composed in Southern Asia
								
												
												
												
												
												
												
												
												
												
												
								
								
								
									ExploreCollection								School attendance is made compulsory for all Native American children
								
												
												
								
								
								
									ExploreCollection								The Supreme Court rules that the right to information is fundamental
								
												
												
												
								
								
								
									ExploreCollection								John Perry Barlow issues a Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace
								
												
								
								
								
									GoWayback								Internet Archive crawlers capture first web pages, including MTV
								
												
								
								
								
									GoWayback								Brewster Kahle founds the Internet Archive
								
												
								
								
								
									GoWayback								Library of Congress and Internet Archive establish the U.S. Election 2000 Web Archive
								
												
								
								
								
									ExploreCollection								Rick Prelinger establishes the Internet Archive’s first moving image collection
								
												
												
												
								
								
								
									GoWayback								Wayback Machine unveiled at the University of California at Berkeley
								
												
												
								
								
								
									ExploreCollection								Collaborating with Etree, the Internet Archive’s Live Music Archive goes online
								
												
								
								
								
									GoWayback								Internet Bookmobile arrives at the Supreme Court for Eldred vs. Ashcroft
								
												
								
								
								
									GoWayback								The Internet Archive helps establish the International Internet Preservation Consortium
								
												
								
								
								
									ExploreCollection								Internet Archive builds its own server/storage system dubbed Petabox
								
												
								
								
								
									GoWayback								Internet Archive launches Archive-it web archiving service
								
												
								
								
								
									GoWayback								Aaron Swartz announces launch of Open Library
								
												
								
								
								
									GoWayback								Internet Archive receives National Security Letter from the FBI
								
												
								
								
								
									ExploreCollection								Internet Archive offers free Ultra High-Speed Internet to SF Public Housing
								
												
								
								
								
									ExploreCollection								Internet Archive & Princeton University make federal court records freely available
								
												
												
								
								
								
									ExploreCollection								Internet Archive makes 1 million books freely available to people with print disabilities
								
												
												
								
								
								
									ExploreCollection								Library coalition develops lending collection of more than 80,000 ebooks
								
												
								
								
								
									GoWayback								The Charter of Human Rights and Principles for the Internet is created
								
												
												
								
								
								
									GoWayback								Internet Archive launches the TV News Archive
								
												
												
												
								
								
								
									ExploreCollection								Open knowledge activist and Open Library founder, Aaron Swartz, dies
								
												
								
								
								
									ExploreCollection								Internet Archive establishes its first Bitcoin ATM, and starts paying employees in Bitcoin
								
												
												
								
								
								
									GoWayback								The Accessible Books Consortium is founded
								
												
								
								
								
									ExploreCollection								Kahle/Austin Foundation establishes Foundation House for nonprofit workers
								
												
												
												
												
												
								
								
								
									ExploreCollection								In response to Covid-19 shutdowns, Internet Archive launches National Emergency Library
								
												
								
								
								
									ExploreCollection								Four publishers sue the Internet Archive to stop Controlled Digital Lending
								
												
												
												
								
								
								
									GoWayback								Internet Archive launches the Way Forward Machine
								
									
				
					
							
							
						
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			Imagine the Future
			
From wayback, now we take you wayforward…to the year 2046. Travel with us twenty-five years into the future. Try out our Wayforward Machine to experience a world where access to knowledge is under siege.
							Travel to 2046
			
			Every Collection Tells a Story
							
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			Ways to Join in the Fun
			Share an Anniversary Wish
How has the Internet Archive inspired you? What’s your favorite Internet Archive story? To tell us, just hit the “Record a video” button below.
			
			
			Support our work
In 25 years, the Internet Archive and our community has accomplished so much. Together, we have built a world class library on the Internet. It’s all possible thanks to patrons around the world who are curious, generous, and preservation-minded, just like you.
If the Internet Archive has helped you over the last 25 years, that’s reason to celebrate! Please support our work.
							Make a gift
			
			Tweet an Anniversary Message
			
			
			
			
			Follow our Story #InternetArchive25
						

			Member of the Press?
			Interested in producing a story about the Internet Archive? We’ve got you covered with key statistics, logos, historical images, and photos. Contact press@archive.org to set up an interview or attend one of our anniversary events nationwide.
			Our Press kit is here
		