Two decades into pop culture’s zeitgeist. It all went down on April 23, 2005. Common folk Jawed Karim posted the first ever uploaded vid to YouTube, the website he co-founded with two friends a couple of months prior.
Entitled, “Me at the zoo.” The 19-second aesthetics is swift and you likely wouldn’t guess what inspired youtube after his former PayPal coworkers, Chad Hurley and Steven Chen, shared their desire to launch a new project together.
It all started with Janet Jackson. After her wardrobe (not really) malfunction during the 2004 year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show. To Karim’s astoundment he looked for it and couldn’t find a clip.
The holy trinity boys of the internet. Karim, Hurley, and Chen manifested a pioneering concept and forever changing planet earth. YouTube is no longer a teenager. Merry 20th bday!
INYIM Media Did You Know? YouTube’s 20th Anniversary Edition
- YouTube’s Birth: YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. The first video, “Me at the Zoo,” was uploaded by Karim on April 23, 2005.
- Rapid Growth: Over the past two decades, YouTube has grown exponentially, now hosting over 20 billion videos and averaging 20 million uploads daily.
- Google’s Big Move: In October 2006, Google acquired YouTube for $1.65 billion, significantly boosting its growth and development.
- Empowering Creators: YouTube has paid out $70 billion to creators between 2021 and 2024, enabling countless individuals to achieve fame and financial success through their content.
- Popular Hits: More than 300 music videos have surpassed 1 billion views on YouTube. Some of the fastest to reach this milestone include Adele’s “Hello” and Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You.”
- Anniversary Features: To celebrate its 20th anniversary, YouTube has announced several new features, including personalized radio stations, enhanced playback speeds, and improved TV viewing experiences.
- Engaged Audience: In 2024, YouTube videos received over 3.5 billion likes per day on average, showcasing the high level of user engagement on the platform.
- Podcast Hub: YouTube has become a leading destination for podcasts, with viewers watching more than 400 million hours of podcasts per month on their TVs in 2024.
Fun Facts
- First Viral Sensation: The first viral video on YouTube featured two kids overdubbing a Backstreet Boys song, uploaded on June 25, 2005.
- Nike’s Achievement: Nike was the first major brand to post on YouTube, with Ronaldinho’s video reaching 1 million views.
- Billion Views Club: The “Billion Views Club” includes music videos that have reached over 1 billion views, such as Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito.”
As creatives and innovators in our own right of entertainment media and all else pertaining to digital portfolios. Or what we have uniquely coined, “Scrapbook and postcards. A dairy-archive.”
Also let’s not forget thanks to youtubers. Pop stars like Ariana Grande, Bieber, Shawna Mendes, Dua Lipa, and so so many much more used the platform to commercial phenom status.
YouTube as it evolved became a career route to 3 million plus accounts registered in the site’s Partner Program. With that being said. Watch our INYIM Media channel starting with the video right below!
