YouTube has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 2005. What started as a simple video sharing platform now dominates online video and has changed the way we consume content. Let’s take a look back at some of the key milestones in YouTube’s rapid growth.
The Origins
YouTube was founded in February 2005 by three former PayPal employees – Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim. The inspiration came from the difficulty sharing video clips online at the time. YouTube was created as an easy-to-use platform to upload and share videos on the web.
The first YouTube video, “Me at the Zoo,” was uploaded on April 23, 2005 by co-founder Jawed Karim. It showed Karim at the San Diego zoo and generated little views at first. But it marked the beginning of a video sharing revolution.
Rise in Popularity
YouTube’s popularity skyrocketed within its first year. By July 2006, the platform was already hosting over 65,000 new uploads and 100 million videos views per day. Some of the earliest viral hits included funny home videos, TV clips, music videos, and amateur performances.
As YouTube’s popularity grew, media companies quickly realized its value for distributing professional content. In October 2006, Google purchased YouTube for $1.65 billion – a huge validation of this emerging media platform.
First YouTube Stars
By 2007, YouTube developed into a talent discovery platform. Creators like Judson Laipply, Brookers, and Lisa Nova attracted millions of followers with their innovative online videos. The platform enabled a new generation of internet personalities to get their content out to a massive audience.
Live Streaming & Mobile
In subsequent years, YouTube rolled out key features to expand its capabilities. In 2011, YouTube went beyond on-demand videos by launching live streaming. Creators could now broadcast live events, chats, tutorials, and more straight to their audience.
Recognizing the growing trend of internet usage on phones, YouTube also enhanced the mobile experience by optimizing the platform for iOS and Android. Views on mobile devices surpassed desktop in 2016.
Maturing Into Social Media
Over the past decade, YouTube has matured into the world’s second largest search engine and a full-fledged social media platform. Users can post on channels, share with networks, leave comments, earn money, and crowdfund projects. Top creators have used it to build media empires reaching tens of millions.
Today, YouTube boasts over 2 billion monthly logged-in users visiting the platform. The breadth of content spans entertainment, music, education, politics, and more. Going forward, YouTube will likely continue dominating video and influencing internet culture for years to come.