Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
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| Founded | 1768 Edinburgh, Scotland, UK |
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| Founder |
Colin Macfarquhar Andrew Bell |
| Country of origin | Scotland |
| Headquarters location | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Key people | Jacqui Safra (principal owner) |
| Imprints | Merriam-Webster |
| Number of employees | About 400 (300 in Chicago, 100 worldwide) |
| Official website | www |
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. is a Scottish-founded, now American company best known for publishing the Encyclopædia Britannica, the world's oldest continuously published encyclopedia.
The company was founded in Edinburgh, Scotland, in the 18th century, in the atmosphere of the Scottish Enlightenment. A printer, Colin Macfarquhar, and an engraver, Andrew Bell, formed a partnership to create a new book that would embody the new spirit of scholarship. William Smellie was engaged to edit the original three-volume work, published one volume at a time beginning in 1768.
The encyclopaedia's reputation grew throughout the publication of its subsequent volumes.
The 11th edition was published in 1910-1911.
In 1920, the trademark and publication rights were sold to Sears Roebuck, which held them until 1943, when ownership passed to William Benton.
The 12th edition was published in 1921-1922, and the 13th edition was published in 1926.
A thoroughly revised 14th edition was published in 1929.
By the mid-1930s, the company headquarters had moved to Chicago, Illinois, United States, and the editorial staff were now no longer disbanded after the completion of a new edition, but kept on as a permanent editorial department, to keep pace with the rapid increase in knowledge at the time.
Starting in 1936, a new printing of the encyclopaedia was published each year, incorporating the latest changes and updates. In 1938, the first edition of the Britannica Book of the Year appeared. This annual supplement is still published today.
William Benton published the Britannica from 1943 until his death in 1973. After the death of his widow Helen Benton in 1974, the Benton Foundation continued to manage the Britannica until it was sold to Jacqui Safra in 1996.
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