Wikipedia's first sentence called it “inventor and a founding member of the society for the prevention of cruelty to animals”. Today it says “english philosopher”. The one-line description Wikipedia serves to search engines and AI systems read “English writer, inventor and animal rights activist”. It now reads “English philosopher and social reformer (1783/4–1861)”.
Measured, not asserted. Every count, date and revision on this page was taken from Wikipedia's own history and checked against the live article. The words quoted are theirs.
Machine-checked against the full current article on 2026-08-03.
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The opening as it read in 2015
Lewis Gompertz (1783/4–1861) was an early animal rights advocate, a vegan , and a founding member in June 1824 of the English Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals , later the RSPCA.1He was the author of Moral Inquiries on the Situation of Man and of Brutes (1824) and Fragments in Defence of Animals (1852). Gompertz acted as the SPCA's second Honorary Secretary prior to resigning in 1833, for reasons related to organizational power struggles and his Judaism.2He went on to found the Animals' Friend Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.3He was opposed to using animals in any way, was an anti-vivisectionist, and refused to ride in horse-drawn carriages. He died from bronchitis in Kennington, London, and was buried in the graveyard of the local church. The Rights of Nature: A History of Environmental Ethics .4
This is Wikipedia's own text, saved in our repository. Their copy of it is revision 659556456.
The opening as it stood in 2010
Lewis Gompertz is an inventor and a founding member of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals .
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 363587121.
The opening as it stood in 2020 5 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Lewis Gompertz ( c. 1783 – 2 December 1861) was an early animal rights advocate and inventor , a vegan and a founding member in June 1824, of the English Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals , later the RSPCA.In Marsden, Ben (ed.).Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.).
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 963434489.
The opening as it stood on October 6, 2023
English writer, inventor and animal rights activist Lewis Gompertz ( c. 1784 – 2 December 1861) was an English writer and inventor , and early animal rights and veganism advocate. He was a founding member, in June 1824, of the English Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ; later the RSPCA. Gompertz was the younger brother of the mathematician and actuary Benjamin Gompertz and the poet Isaac Gompertz . In Marsden, Ben (ed.). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.).
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1177843372.
The opening as it stood in 2025 4 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear
English philosopher, writer, inventor, and social reformer (1783/4–1861) Lewis Gompertz (1783/4 – 2 December 1861) was an English philosopher, writer, inventor, and social reformer.He was best known for his pioneering advocacy of the moral consideration of animals , early veganism , and opposition to animal exploitation .A founding member of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (later the RSPCA ), he later established the Animals' Friend Society to promote a more comprehensive ethical stance toward animals.His 1824 treatise, Moral Inquiries on the Situation of Man and of Brutes , offered one of the first systematic critiques of animal use, combining philosophical argument with proposals for social reform.He also supported causes including women's rights , anti-slavery , and the welfare of the poor.In addition to his activism, Gompertz was an accomplished mechanical inventor who sought to develop alternatives to animal labour.
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1298097555. This is our newest snapshot; the live article may have moved again since.
Today
Wikipedia's first sentence called it “inventor and a founding member of the society for the prevention of cruelty to animals”. Today it says “english philosopher”. The one-line description Wikipedia serves to search engines and AI systems read “English writer, inventor and animal rights activist”. It now reads “English philosopher and social reformer (1783/4–1861)”. Read the current article and compare.
2010
2015
2020
Oct '23
2025
Counts in the opening at each snapshot. Green: the word gained ground. Red: it was cut. Grey: no change.
What Wikipedia says this is
Every article opens by defining its subject. This one was redefined since 2010, and today's defining sentence is their current revision.
Then
inventor and a founding member of the society for the prevention of cruelty to animals
Now
english philosopher
Struck red text is no longer in the article; dotted amber text was rewritten. Every revision id links to Wikipedia's copy; the text shown is our own saved copy. Data: /data. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA; quoted for the record; not affiliated with Wikipedia.
