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data-element_type="section"> <div class="elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default"> <div class="elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-40da409" data-id="40da409" data-element_type="column"> <div class="elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated"> <div class="elementor-element elementor-element-3ed95f8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor" data-id="3ed95f8" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="text-editor.default"> <div class="elementor-widget-container"> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dear Reader,</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I’m the Editorial Director of Encyclopaedia Britannica, and I want first to thank you for being one of our readers. I鈥檓 honored to be able to tell you about today鈥檚 Britannica, a global educator that reaches hundreds of millions of students and lifelong learners globally.聽聽</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I imagine that when Britannica鈥檚 first editors were publishing the first edition of our encyclopedia over 250 years ago, they may not have realized the importance and endurance of the opening words of their </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Preface-to-the-first-edition-of-the-Encyclopaedia-Britannica-2103819">preface:聽</a>聽</span><span style="color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>UTILITY ought to be the principal intention of every publication. Wherever this intention does not plainly appear, neither the books nor their authors have the smallest claim to the approbation of mankind.</i></span></p><p>Swap out that聽<i>mankind聽</i>for聽<i>humankind</i>, and you鈥檝e got a sentiment that animates us even today. Since that first edition, Britannica has grown and evolved to tell the stories of every significant event in history in meaningful ways for our readers.</p><p>There are many authoritative, trustworthy media organizations in the world whose mission is to bring you the news as quickly and as accurately as possible. They keep us all informed of today.聽<span style="color: var( --e-global-color-text );">They have an essential role, but ours is distinctly different. </span><span style="color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif;">聽</span></p><p><span style="color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight );">We’re committed to continuing to do what we鈥檝e done for 250 years,聽 to be</span><span style="color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight );">聽witnesses to history. Our editorial mission is to ensure that we get it right for history, not for just our current moment.聽 And all of this w</span><span style="color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight );">ork requires investment.聽</span><a href="https://subscription.britannica.com/subscribe?partnerCode=BP_LEN_USD" target="_blank" rel="noopener">And this is where we need your help</a>.<span style="color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight );"> I hope you will consider supporting our mission at Britannica by joining us as a premium subscriber.</span></p><p>We need your help, now more than ever. 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