Encyclop dia Britannica is a worldwide leader in reference, education, and learning. It's 32-volume encyclopedia, first published in 1768, is the oldest English-language encyclopedia still in print. In 1994, the company launched Britannica Online, the first encyclopedia for the Internet. Britannica publishes several other reference sets for students and young children, including Compton's by Britannica, My First Britannica, and Discover America.