Jimmy Wales is an American internet entrepreneur best known as the co-founder of Wikipedia, a free online encyclopedia that allows users to edit and contribute content. Born on August 7, 1966, in Huntsville, Alabama, he has played a significant role in promoting open access to information and knowledge sharing on the internet. Wales founded Wikipedia in 2001 alongside Larry Sanger, and it quickly grew to become one of the largest and most popular reference websites in the world. He has also been involved in various other projects and initiatives aimed at improving online education and information accessibility.