You can also check the diffs to see exactly what changed! Seeing how major articles progressed (especially ones that started in the early 2000s or when the subject was only marginally notable) is a lot of fun.

And honestly, if you're doing that and see someone who put in a lot of good, thankless work, dropping a "thanks" on their talk page even years later (or even just using the 'Thank' button) would probably make their day.