Starting from a simple blogging platform to becoming the most popular CMS that’s powering up almost half of all websites on the globe, WordPress has come a long way! Today, as WordPress turns 20, let’s take a walk through memory lane and see the evolution of WordPress over the years.
How It Started…How It’s Going: WordPress Over The Years
It all started when back in 2001, a webmaster named Michel Valdrighi launched b2/cafelog to enhance the blogging experience with an open-source project. However, after a few days, Michel Valdrighi removed his involvement from the project for personal reasons. This time a young American developer, Matt Mullenweg, and Mike Little, a British developer started to build a new software using the source code of b2.
Just like that, WordPress was born with the release of its first official public version 0.70. Since then WordPress has come up with exciting features and updates which are backed by contributors around the world. Thousands of people contributed to this open-source project to make this simple blogging the most popular CMS in the world.
The Evolution Of WordPress: The Most Popular CMS Platform
From releasing its first official public version to becoming the most popular CMS platform in the history of the internet, WordPress has introduced constant updates. Now, let’s take a look at the major updates that WordPress released on May 27th, 2003.
WordPress 0.70 – The First Official Public Release
To look back on the evolution of WordPress, we need to take a look at the very first release of WordPress was announced by Matt Mullenweg on May 27th, 2003. It was extensively praised in the community for its redesigned admin interface, new layouts, and other features than the b2 Cafelog. With noticeably better features, this blogging platform had a bright beginning. However, nobody thought it would come this far and power almost half of the website.
WordPress 1.0 – The First Stable Release
We all know that the journey of WordPress started with a basic blogging platform. Back then in 2004, WordPress 1.0 came with features like categories and comments to enhance the blogging experience. In addition to that, a few plugins and themes were introduced in this first stable release which is now revolutionized by tons of themes and plugins.
WordPress 2.0 – A New Administration Interface
As time went by, new features were added to WordPress and it has seen constant improvement. One year after the first stable release, WordPress 2.0 came with a completely new admin interface and a new plugin architecture. The users were able to handle the static pages in a better way and share custom posts with an improved template system.
WordPress 2.5 – A Revamped Dashboard Design
Just like everything in the world of tech, WordPress was being improved day by day. However, a massive change came in 2008 when WordPress 2.5 was released. The whole dashboard design was fully revamped, along with better plugin integration to make the blogging experience as easy as possible. Also, shortcodes were added for the image gallery to showcase media on any page or post.
WordPress 3.0 – New Default Theme (Twenty-Ten)
In 2010 the Twenty Ten theme was introduced in WordPress 3.0 with quite a few useful features. This update allowed WordPress users to create custom post types and taxonomies on this blogging platform. With a built-in menu editor, this update also introduced a custom background feature to customize the color or add images on WordPress websites.
WordPress 3.5 – A New Media Uploader
When it comes to blogging, adding images, videos, or other media files is kind of mandatory to engage your visitors. In 2023, WordPress released version 3.5 with a new media uploader feature. Since then, users can easily upload any media files on their website.
WordPress 4.0 – Improved Content Editing & Formatting
Back in 2014, a massive change in the evolution of WordPress was introduced in content editing with WordPress 4.0 update. It came with a more flexible content editor and a new style of view in the media library. However, Twenty-Fourteen, the new default theme was also a massive part of version 4.0.
WordPress 5.0 – The Block Editor (Gutenberg Era)
The Gutenberg era started in 2018 when WordPress released version 5.0 and this was a huge milestone in the evolution of WordPress. In this version, a new block editor named Gutenberg came to replace the Classic Editor. From this update, users can create a complex content layout using blocks, making content creation easier than ever.
WordPress 5.5 – New Power in Speed, Search & Security
After introducing Gutenberg, WordPress focused on improving its speed, search, and security. On August 11, 2020, WordPress 5.5 came with significant improvements in these areas. The Lazy Loading feature was introduced to speed up page and post-loading time. In addition, this version included an XML sitemap to increase search engine visibility.
WordPress 5.9 – Full-Site Editing
To bring the Gutenberg era to a whole new level, WordPress introduced full-site editing in the version 5.9. Released in 2021, this feature enabled users to create or customize their full website templates without a single line of code or a 3rd party plugin. This update was a game changer in the evolution of WordPress unlocked the block editor’s power and new possibilities for the WordPress community.
WordPress 6.1 – Twenty Twenty-Three Theme
On November 1, 2022, WordPress 6.1 came up with a brand new theme named Twenty Twenty-Three. This theme came with versatile style variations and new block patterns to help you build your website just the way you want. In addition to that, this update improved the Full-Site Editing feature for the users.
WordPress 6.2 – Improved Site Editor
In 2023, a major release was introduced in WordPress 6.2 which is considered to be the game-changer for website builders. This reimagined site editor comes with easier navigation, the introduction of a new ‘Browse Mode’ and much more.
A Community Without Borders Or Limits
Over the years, thousands of contributors have put their hands together to grow this open-source project. The enormous success of this open-source project is only possible because of its amazing community all over the world. On each and every release, the WordPress community works together to help the WordPress project grow with its own expertise.
To bond together and meet with fellow WordPress enthusiasts, its community arranges a fun and casual conference called WordCamp. And the first ever WordCamp was arranged by Matt Mullenweg back in 2006 in San Francisco. Since then WordCamps have been happening all around the world to connect and share knowledge with each other.
🥳 Join The Party: Celebrate 20 Years Of WordPress!
As WordPress turns 20, the WordPress community in Bangladesh is also coming together to meet up and celebrate this happy anniversary! In fact, WordPress enthusiasts all over the world are planning different initiatives and meetups to celebrate this milestone. To share this joy together, here at WPDeveloper, we are offering exclusive discounts on our WordPress products! Treat yourself as we raise a glass to WordPress’ 20th anniversary. 🎉
To stay updated on the latest news, tutorials, and tips and tricks for all things related to WordPress, subscribe to our blog, and join our Facebook Community.
