Home

 › 

Featured

 › 

Lifestyle

 › 

The Most Popular Wikipedia Page Every Week for the Past Year

The Most Popular Wikipedia Page Every Week for the Past Year

In existence for only 21 years, Wikipedia is the world’s most popular internet information source, with 1.8 billion people visiting the site every year. Because its 58+ million articles are written by unpaid contributors, edited by other contributors, it is not considered a fully credible research tool and is much maligned by the academic community, which generally forbids students from relying on its content. 

Nevertheless, Wikipedia is the go-to source for quick reference. It is a godsend for those who remember chasing down data or resolving a trivia dispute by spending time in the library, or, with luck, getting the reference librarian to do the work. And unlike the set of encyclopedias many people used to have in their homes, Wikipeidia is constantly being updated by its volunteer editors, and is able to tell you what has happened this week. (Libraries are still vital, of course. These are the best states for public libraries.)

To determine the most popular Wikipedia page every week for the past year, 24/7 Tempo reviewed Wikipedia’s Top 25 Report, a curated weekly report of the 25 most popular articles on the site. The tally, says Wikipedia, “exclude[s] articles for which high view counts appear to be overly influenced by non-human views.”

As it turns out, the most popular Wikipedia articles mostly relate to pop culture. Of the past 52 weeks, the most popular topics for 23 weeks were about TV shows, films, and actors – often following their deaths – and, for ten weeks, about sports figures and sports events, mainly relating to soccer. The popularity of the site in India may be seen from the fact that for eight weeks the No. 1 search was for an Indian celebrity or film.

Hard news rarely took precedence, with the exception of three weeks dominated by Putin and his war against Ukraine, two relating to the Black Lives Matter movement, and one about the Taliban. None of the most popular pages in a given week addressed Covid, climate change, immigration, abortion, inflation, or U.S. politics. (These are 32 famous people you didn’t know were born in Ukraine.)

Source: Mario Tama / Getty Images News via Getty Images

Apr. 18 to Apr. 24, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Derek Chauvin
> Views: 2,221,610

Source: Pool / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

Apr. 25 to May 1, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: 93rd Academy Awards
> Views: 1,571,338

Source: Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

May 2 to May 8, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Bill Gates
> Views: 1,371,353

Source: Chesnot / Getty Images

May 9 to May 15, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Elon Musk
> Views: 2,023,222

Source: Rotterdam Ahoy / Wikimedia Commons

May 16 to May 22, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Eurovision Song Contest 2021
> Views: 1,610,619

Source: Zack Snyder / Wikimedia Commons

May 23 to May 29, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Army of the Dead (2021 film)
> Views: 1,584,244

Source: John Phillips / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

May 30 to Jun. 5, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Mare of Easttown (TV series)
> Views: 1,232,548

Source: Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

Jun. 6 to Jun. 12, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: UEFA Euro 2020 (soccer qualifying tournament)
> Views: 1,725,754

Source: Bastiaan Slabbers / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

Jun. 13 to Jun. 19, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Juneteenth
> Views: 2,615,582

Source: Eminn / Wikimedia Commons

Jun. 20 to Jun. 26, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: UEFA Euro 2020
> Views: 3,826,236

Source: MArvAlcao17 / Wikimedia Commons

Jun. 27 to Jul. 3, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: UEFA Euro 2020
> Views: 2,920,042

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Jul. 4 to Jul. 10, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Dilip Kumar (Indian film star)
> Views: 2,517,717

Source: Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia Commons

Jul. 11 to Jul. 17, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Black Widow (2021 film)
> Views: 1,640,488

Source: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

Jul. 18 to Jul. 24, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Giannis Antetokounmpo (NBA star)
> Views: 2,034,685

Source: winhorse / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

Jul. 25 to Jul. 31, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: 2020 Summer Olympics
> Views: 3,775,926

Source: Joel Papalini / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

Aug. 1 to Aug. 7, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: 2020 Summer Olympics
> Views: 3,278,702

Source: James Gunn / Wikimedia Commons

Aug. 8 to Aug. 14, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: The Suicide Squad (2021 film)
> Views: 2,004,116

Source: ewg3D / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

Aug. 15 to Aug. 21, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Taliban
> Views: 6,195,799

Source: Michael Regan / Getty Images

Aug. 22 to Aug. 28, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Cristiano Ronaldo (soccer star)
> Views: 1,857,188

Source: Courtesy of Sidharth Shukla via Facebook

Aug. 29 to Sep. 4, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Sidharth Shukla (Indian film star)
> Views: 2,897,546

Source: tenniscreative / Flickr

Sep. 5 to Sep. 11, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Emma Raducanu (tennis player)
> Views: 3,031,991

Source: Greg2600 / Wikimedia Commons

Sep. 12 to Sep. 18, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Norm Macdonald (comedian)
> Views: 2,793,630

Source: Chongkian / Wikimedia Commons

Sep. 19 to Sep. 25, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Squid Game (Korean TV series)
> Views: 2,508,476

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Sep. 26 to Oct. 2, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Squid Game
> Views: 4,675,856

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Oct. 3 to Oct. 9, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Squid Game
> Views: 5,400,927

Source: Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images News via Getty Images

Oct. 10 to Oct. 16, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Squid Game
> Views: 3,648,028

Source: Photo by Drew Angerer / Getty Images

Oct. 17 to Oct. 23, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Colin Powell
> Views: 2,232,933

Source: Puneeth rajumara / Wikimedia Commons

Oct. 24 to Oct. 30, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Puneeth Rajkumar (Indian film star)
> Views: 3,250,947

Source: Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia Commons

Oct. 31 to Nov. 6, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Eternals (2021 film)
> Views: 1,884,050

Source: Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia Commons

Nov. 7 to Nov. 13, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Eternals
> Views: 1,669,266

Source: Lightburst / Wikimedia Commons

Nov. 14 to Nov. 20, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Kenosha unrest shooting
> Views: 2,822,572

Source: xtranews / Flickr

Nov. 21 to Nov. 27, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Ralf Rangnick (soccer star)
> Views: 1,673,772

Source: jurvetson / Flickr

Nov. 28 to Dec. 4, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Virgil Abloh (fashion designer)
> Views: 1,740,726

Source: secdef / Flickr

Dec. 5 to Dec. 11, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Bipin Rawat (India’s chief of defense)
> Views: 3,257,899

Source: Franco Origlia / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

Dec. 12 to Dec. 18, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021 film)
> Views: 4,812,556

Source: Elisabetta Villa / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

Dec. 19 to Dec. 25, 2021
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Spider-Man: No Way Home
> Views: 3,730,119

Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

Dec. 26, 2021 to Jan. 1, 2022
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Betty White
> Views: 6,250,441

Source: Rodin Eckenroth / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

Jan. 2 to Jan. 8, 2022
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Betty White
> Views: 2,084,339

Source: Leon Bennett / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

Jan. 9 to Jan. 15, 2022
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Bob Saget
> Views: 5,723,931

Source: Keystone / Getty Images

Jan. 16 to Jan. 22, 2022
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Meat Loaf
> Views: 3,032,358

Source: Steven Pisano from Brooklyn, NY, USA / Wikimedia Commons

Jan. 23 to Jan. 29, 2022
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Ashleigh Barty (tennis player)
> Views: 942,625

Source: Drew Angerer / Getty Images

Jan. 30 to Feb. 5, 2022
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Justin Trudeau
> Views: 2,338,088

Source: Ilovemuppets / Wikimedia Commons

Feb. 6 to Feb. 12, 2022
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Lata Mangeshkar (Indian singer)
> Views: 3,532,616

Source: Dave Kotinsky / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

Feb. 13 to Feb. 19, 2022
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Anna Sorokin (Russian con artist)
> Views: 3,759,292

Source: Silent_GOS / iStock via Getty Images

Feb. 20 to Feb. 26, 2022
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Ukraine
> Views: 6,749,176

Source: Chris McGrath / Getty Images News via Getty Images

Feb. 27 to Mar. 5, 2022
> Most popular Wikipedia page: 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
> Views: 7,647,610

Source: WPA Pool / Getty Images News via Getty Images

Mar. 6 to Mar. 12, 2022
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Vladimir Putin
> Views: 3,815,361

Source: Priyankaabhishek / Wikimedia Commons

Mar. 13 to Mar. 19, 2022
> Most popular Wikipedia page: The Kashmir Files (2022 film)
> Views: 2,623,323

Source: 91170430@N05 / Flickr

Mar. 20 to Mar. 26, 2022
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters drummer)
> Views: 2,296,427

Source: Amy Sussman / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

Mar. 27 to Apr. 2, 2022
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Jada Pinkett Smith
> Views: 3,341,264

Source: Selezen / Wikimedia Commons

Apr. 3 to Apr. 9, 2022
> Most popular Wikipedia page: Wrestlemania 38
> Views: 2,205,071

Source: Rupakspectra / Wikimedia Commons

Apr. 10 to Apr. 16, 2022
> Most popular Wikipedia page: K.G.F: Chapter 2 (2022 film)
> Views: 2,505,301

Source: Sreejithkoiloth / Wikimedia Commons

Apr. 17 to Apr. 23, 2022
> Most popular Wikipedia page: K.G.F: Chapter 2
> Views: 3,443,321

To top