World War II Database

Thanks to all the support from you, the visitors of the site, the World War II Database is celebrating its first birthday today on 29 Dec 2005. Exactly one year ago, WW2DB opened to the public after two months worth of conversion work, changing its nature from being my own private history scrapbook to a public-facing website. Some of you may even remember what the original site looks like during its pre-release days. The site has come a long way since last year.

From the quantitative perspective, the site went from about 180 articles at the end of 2004 to over 700 today; same goes for the photograph collection as well, growing from 600 to over 1,100. In terms of visitors, WW2DB is now being visited by 100 visitors each day. Much to my surprise, the site is fairly global, visited by people from San Diego, New York City, London, Moscow, Taipei, Jakarta, and Sydney, just to name a few.

Beyond the numbers, the site has also attracted a small number of contributors since its opening; Bryan Hiatt, Morgan Bell, and John Radzilowski all share a same passion in history and have all selflessly spent their time to share their knowledge with WW2DB visitors. Jonathan Parshall, Jonathan Wirch, and many others had acted as advisors or simply provided moral support, which in one way or another all helped this website grow. I am most appreciative for this opportunity work with these talented and enthusiastic colleagues through the WW2DB project.

All in all, WW2DB has had a rather successful first year. In the coming year we are undoubtedly looking to expand the scope and depth of the website, including an entirely new section that is currently under construction. As 2005 draws close to its end, we wish all WW2DB's visitors a prosperous new year, and thanks again for all your continued support!

C. Peter Chen
Founder and Editor
World War II Database