The story of WordPress is one of the most successful examples of open-source collaboration.
The Origin (2001–2003)
Before WordPress, there was a blogging software called b2/cafelog, created by Michel Valdrighi in 2001. In 2002, Valdrighi stopped developing it.
In January 2003, Matt Mullenweg (a university student at the time) and Mike Little decided to “fork” (continue the development of) b2 to create a more modern platform.
Key Milestones
| Year | Event | Impact |
| 2003 | The Launch | Version 0.7 was released on May 27, 2003. |
| 2004 | Plugins | Version 1.2 introduced the Plugin Architecture, allowing users to extend functionality. |
| 2005 | Themes & Pages | Version 1.5 introduced Themes and static Pages, turning it into a true CMS. |
| 2010 | Custom Post Types | Version 3.0 added custom post types, making it powerful for complex websites. |
| 2018 | Gutenberg Editor | Version 5.0 introduced the block-based editor, modernizing the design process. |
| 2022+ | Full Site Editing | WordPress moved toward “Full Site Editing” (FSE), allowing users to design every part of their site visually. |