Roughly 20 years ago, on 23 April 2005, the very first video was uploaded to YouTube. Titled Me at the Zoo, the 18-second clip features YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim standing in front of elephants at the San Diego Zoo. Filmed by a friend, the video is simple, casual, and understated, but it marked the beginning of a platform that would transform digital culture.
In the clip, Karim briefly comments on the elephants’ “really, really long trunks,” adding that “that’s pretty much all there is to say.” While the content itself is unremarkable, its significance lies in what it represented. This was the moment YouTube was officially born.
Since then, YouTube has grown from a small video-sharing site to one of the world’s largest platforms for content, community, and careers. From tutorials and entertainment to political commentary and education, the site now sees over 500 hours of video uploaded every minute and boasts more than 2 billion logged-in users each month.
The original video, Me at the Zoo, is still live on the site today. It remains a nostalgic snapshot of internet history and a quiet reminder of how far the platform has come.
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