YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim uploaded the first-ever video to the platform fifteen years ago today.
Fifteen years ago, nobody knew what YouTube was. Today, millions of videos are uploaded every hour from everywhere around the world. The video-sharing platform has risen tremendously since its inception, becoming the top video-streaming platform on the internet. People have made entire careers off of YouTube with subcultures booming on the platform. Whatever you’re into, you’ll be able to find the right content to keep you mindlessly entertained for hours.
Fifteen years ago today, the platform welcomed its first-ever video. Uploaded on April 23, 2005, YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim felt like showing his loved ones how he had spent the day. He likely did not know that, in the fifteen years following, over 90 million people would be interested in hearing about his 18-second experience at the zoo.
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Sharing a video titled “Me at the zoo,” Karim felt compelled to deliver his thought-provoking take on elephants, remarking how long their trunks are. Truly riveting. This remains the only video uploaded to Karim’s page.
The quasi-vlog post would likely flop on the platform today. After all, he didn’t even incessantly beg his audience to like, subscribe, and turn on post notifications. Isn’t that, like, a rule for vloggers?
Watch the video below on its official 15-year anniversary. What’s your favorite hip-hop related video that has ever been uploaded to YouTube?
