As the saying goes, a social network isn't a social network without its people—and when it comes to YouTube, those people tend to be both uninhibited and borderline psychotic, their creative juices running on overdrive to get the most subscribers and views. This year marks a decade since the race began.
YouTube was born in 2005 after co-founder Jawed Karim couldn't find clips of the Janet Jackson Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction without digging through endless search pages. Then came the idea that the Web needed an easier place to share and find videos. Karim and his two other co-founders (all former PayPal employees) first thought of making a video dating site called Tune In Hook Up, scrapped that idea, and bought the domain, YouTube.com, on Feb. 14, 2005, 10 years ago today. The first video, the 19-second "Me at the zoo," was uploaded by Karim the following April. They secured a $11.5 million investment in November, then sold to Google for $1.65 billion a year later.
The site has morphed from showcasing only the funny, weird, and disturbing videos that comprised its first years, to a full-on factory that pumps out personalities, video series, and channels fueled by its users. It's the go-to spot for news, opinion, live events, and replays (while still being a magnet for the absurd.)
Here are the 10 videos from YouTube's early years that helped draw in its users and launch the juggernaut that it became today.
"Lazy Sunday"
Date: Dec. 2005
Views: N/A
Wait... the above video isn't from YouTube? Yeah, it isn't. That's because NBC had all of the "Lazy Sunday" videos pulled in the days after it aired on SNL at the end of 2005. The segment was such a hit that people ripped the footage and uploaded it to YouTube, a site that still hadn't quite taken off. The videos amassed some 7 million views, and gave YouTube some extra publicity with the young audience that followed Andy Samberg. After NBC had the videos removed, parody videos from YouTube users started popping up in their place, like this:
"Touch of Gold"
"LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE!"
Date: Sept. 10, 2007
Views: 49,145,876
The video that launched the career of YouTube personality Chris Crocker set in motion what would be a template for users for years to come—do something completely embarrassing, put your sanity on the line, and you'll for sure be mocked, but will also come out famous in the end (even if only for a short amount of time). Within a few hours of Crocker uploading his defense of Britney Spears' performance at that year's MTV Video Music Awards, it gained two million views, and sparked a wave of parody videos and memes, including this one from Perez Hilton:
"Don't tase me bro!"
"Baby"
Asmaa Mahfouz's Vlog
"BED INTRUDER SONG!!!"
"It Gets Better"
"Evolution of Dance"
Date: April 6, 2006
Views: 289,623,806
The "Evolution of Dance" blew up on YouTube when it dropped in April 2006, earning more than 10 million views in just a few weeks. It shows motivational speaker Judson Laipply dancing to 32 different songs from different eras of music. It was featured on Good Morning America, The Today Show, CNN, MSN, E!, and other networks, and it was one of the first videos to go viral. At its peak, it was the Most Viewed Video of All Time, the Most Favorited Video of All Time, and the third Most Discussed Video of All Time on YouTube.
"Charlie bit my finger—again!"
Bonus: "Girl Talks Trash on Obama"
