YouTube turns 20 years old today

Twenty years ago, three former PayPal employees launched YouTube.com, originally intended as a dating website with the slogan “Tune In, Hook Up.”

The co-founders—Steve Chen, Chad Hurley and Jawed Karim—struggled to attract users, so they created YouTube’s first video themselves. The clip, titled “Me at the zoo,” featured Karim at the San Diego Zoo.

In doing so, they built a platform where anyone with an internet connection could upload and watch videos.

What did people do with this newfound power?

What they’re still doing today.

Flooding the internet with clips from Saturday Night Live—Like Lazy Sunday, one of the early viral videos.

Swiftly removed at NBC’s request but later restored on Youtube, the video highlighted a key tension in YouTube’s rise. For some, it was a chaos of copyright infringement; for others, a breakthrough in short-form video democracy. The following year, Google bought YouTube for more than $1.6 billion.

In October 2006, Karim shared with students at his alma mater, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, what it all meant to him: “If you have a good idea, and you just go out there and you make a video, you can — you can get an audience of millions almost instantly for free,” he said.

Over the years, YouTube has faced controversies—over data collection, toxic content and radicalizing algorithms.

But “Me at the zoo” is still there, reminding viewers of a more innocent time. With 348 million views, it’s a far cry from the most-watched video.

If you clicked to listen above, our apologies, dear readers—we have “Baby Shark”

 

Anti-Trump podcast MeidasTouch is rivaling Joe Rogan. Does it have staying power?

The left-leaning media outfit has surged in Donald Trump's second term, appealing to progressives outraged by the president. Still, the online streaming world remains dominated by right-wing voices.

‘The Last of Us’ actor Pedro Pascal says he wouldn’t want to survive an apocalypse

The Chilean-born actor has faced countless on-screen challenges, including cosmic battles and cartel kingpins. He's nominated for an Emmy for his role on the HBO series, The Last of Us.

Takeaways from Taylor Swift’s podcast appearance: her new album, romance and more

Swift revealed the release date, cover art and track list for The Life of a Showgirl. She also discussed her romance with Travis Kelce, buying back her masters and recovering from the Eras Tour.

Mayors of Democratic cities respond to Trump’s threats they could be next after D.C.

When Trump announced his law enforcement actions in D.C., he also singled out a slew of other Democratic cities. The mayors of Baltimore, LA, Oakland, Chicago and New York say crime is down.

A new Spike Lee crime thriller and more to see this weekend

Denzel Washington stars in a loose remake of the 1963 Akira Kurosawa film High and Low. And four anthropomorphic turtles are back in theaters for an anniversary re-release.

Hundreds of retired air force officers protest Israel’s war in Gaza

Hundreds of former air force reservists and pilots join a chorus of defense establishment figures calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza.

More Front Page Coverage