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YouTube is 10 Years Old! Here’s A Brief History of World’s Favourite Video Service

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YouTube is 10 Years Old! Here’s A Brief History of World’s Favourite Video Service

Today is YouTube’s 10th Anniversary. Yep, 10 solid years. Here’s a selection of interesting facts to celebrate


Features

The list of websites that most people would say makes the Internet the great resource of knowledge it is if you were to ask them on the street is pretty short. They’d say Google. They’d say Wikipedia. And then they’d most certainly say YouTube. It’s the site we turn to for serious entertainment and serious news. The site we turn to to see endless cat videos and the latest music videos. It’s a site which without the Internet would feel like a very different place. 

“300 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. Not all of it is worth watching but enough of it is that you won’t live long enough to see it all,” notes The Guardian. “And there’s more to it than watching. Online video can engage people in many ways. Some of these are engineered, such as ‘liking’ or leaving a comment, and others entirely unexpected, like the YouTube-inspired servers for Minecraft. Plenty of offline occurrences spring from the uploading of a video, from massive conventions to familial reunions.”

YouTube was founded ten years ago on Valentines Day, February 14, 2005. Since then it regularly ranks in the top three sites visited worldwide (the other two are Google and Facebook).  There have been many competitors and imitators that have cropped up since, but none of them had the draw or staying power of the site that can give you your fifteen minutes of fame again and again and again. So in honor of its first decade of existence we look back at some interesting facts about the internet’s most beloved video site.

It wasn’t always owned by Google

Everyone knows that Google owns YouTube, but many people–especially teenagers today–might not know that Google didn’t invent, nor always own YouTube. YouTube was actually founded by three friends who were ex-PayPal employees: Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim. A little more than a year and a half later Google would buy YouTube for $1.65 billion in stock–an astronomical sum at the time, but one which ended up being a great deal for Google given how popular the site has become.

No one can agree on why they got the idea for the site

Most founders can tell you what the inspiration for their invention was, but the founders of YouTube don’t agree. Hurley and Chen assert that they conceived of YouTube in early 2005 when they realized there was no easy way to share a video online that they had shot at a dinner party at their apartment. 

But the third founder, Jawed Karim, has said that’s not the real story–rather it’s one created for marketing purposes. Karim says the idea for YouTube came about when he couldn’t easily find video clips of Janet Jackson’s 2004 Super Bowl “wardrobe malfunction” and the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami to view online.

YouTube could have been a dating site

Hurley and Chen also say that one early idea for YouTube involved using it as a dating site. This suggests that the site would have allowed people to upload video profiles in order to meet online daters.

Though the site was founded on Valentines Day, the first video wasn’t uploaded until April

Though the founders activated the domain www.youtube.com on February 14, 2005 the first video wasn’t actually uploaded until April 23, 2005. It’s titled Me at the zoo and features YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim at the San Diego Zoo.

YouTube opened to the public in May 2005

Even after Me at the zoo was uploaded by Karim, YouTube wasn’t made available to the public until May 2005 when a public beta was launched. The site officially launched in November 2005. By July 2006 the site was getting 65,000 new videos uploaded to it every day, according to Wikipedia.

With that kind of traffic and content, it made YouTube the target of large tech money. Google snapped the company up for $1.65 billion just 11 months after its official launch. 

The most watched video is….

Though Me at the zoo was the first video uploaded–and it has an impressive number of views (over 17 million)–it’s by far not the most watched video. That title goes to the music video “Gangnam Style” by Psy. It has 2.23 billion views to date. The distant second place video has “only” 1.13 billion views. That’s Justin Biber’s “Baby”.

People love pet videos

This may come as a shock to no one, but according to a Pew Research Center report 31% of online adults have posted a video on YouTube and 45% of those posted a video of their pet or an animal, with cats being more popular than dogs.

YouTube has some crazy stats

It’s not the #3 most visited website on the Internet for no reason. Check out these stats from YouTube and Pew Research:

  • YouTube has more than 1 billion users
  • Every day people watch hundreds of millions of hours on YouTube and generate billions of views
  • The number of hours people are watching on YouTube each month is up 50% year over year
  • 300 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute
  • Around 60% of a creator’s views comes from outside their home country
  • YouTube is localized in 75 countries and available in 61 languages
  • Half of YouTube views are now on mobile devices
  • YouTube is the world’s second largest social networking site, behind Facebook
  • 82% of 18- to 29-year-olds used YouTube in 2014
  • 76% of blacks and 74% of Hispanics use YouTube, way more than the 57% of whites.

Happy Birthday YouTube! Here’s to the next decade!


Michael Grothaus

14:45, 13 Feb 2015

Today is YouTube's tenth Anniversary. Yep, 10 forged years. Here's a variety of fascinating data to rejoice

Features

The record of web sites that most of the people might say makes the Internet the nice useful resource of wisdom it is when you have been to invite them in the street is lovely brief. They’d say Google. They’d say Wikipedia. And then they’d so much no doubt say YouTube. It’s the website online we flip to for critical leisure and critical information. The website we flip to to peer unending cat movies and the up to date track movies. It’s a website online which with out the Internet might really feel like an overly other position. 

"300 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube each and every minute. Not all of it is value gazing however sufficient of it is that you simply gained’t are living lengthy sufficient to peer all of it," notes The Guardian. "And there’s extra to it than observing. Online video can have interaction folks in some ways. Some of those are engineered, akin to ‘liking’ or leaving a remark, and others totally sudden, just like the YouTube-impressed servers for Minecraft. Plenty of offline occurrences spring from the importing of a video, from large conventions to familial reunions."

YouTube used to be based ten years in the past on Valentines Day, February 14, 2005. Since then it steadily ranks within the most sensible 3 web sites visited around the world (the opposite are Google and Facebook).  There were many competition and imitators that experience cropped up due to the fact, however none of them had the draw or endurance of the website online that may come up with your fifteen mins of popularity over and over again and once more. So in honor of its first decade of lifestyles we glance again at a few fascinating data concerning the web’s so much liked video web site.

It wasn’t all the time owned through Google

Everyone is aware of that Google owns YouTube, however many of us--particularly youngsters lately--would possibly now not understand that Google didn’t invent, nor all the time personal YouTube. YouTube used to be if truth be told based through 3 pals who have been ex-PayPal workers: Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim. A little greater than a yr and a part later Google may purchase YouTube for $1.65 billion in inventory--an astronomical sum on the time, however one that ended up being a really perfect deal for Google given how fashionable the website online has transform.

No you can agree on why they were given the theory for the website online

Most founders can inform you what the foundation for his or her invention used to be, however the founders of YouTube don’t agree. Hurley and Chen assert that they conceived of YouTube in early 2005 once they learned there used to be no simple solution to percentage a video on-line that that they had shot at a cocktail party at their rental. 

But the 3rd founder, Jawed Karim, has stated that’s now not the actual tale--moderately it’s one created for advertising functions. Karim says the theory for YouTube happened while he couldn’t simply in finding videos of Janet Jackson’s 2004 Super Bowl “cloth wardrobe malfunction” and the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami to view on-line.

YouTube may have been a courting web site

Hurley and Chen additionally say that one early concept for YouTube concerned the use of it as a courting web site. This means that the website might have allowed other folks to add video profiles to be able to meet on-line daters.

Though the web site used to be based on Valentines Day, the primary video wasn’t uploaded till April

Though the founders activated the area www.youtube.com on February 14, 2005 the primary video wasn’t in reality uploaded till April 23, 2005. It’s titled Me at the zoo and lines YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim on the San Diego Zoo.

YouTube opened to the general public in May 2005

Even after Me on the zoo used to be uploaded by way of Karim, YouTube wasn’t made to be had to the general public till May 2005 while a public beta used to be introduced. The web site formally introduced in November 2005. By July 2006 the web site used to be getting 65,000 new movies uploaded to it on a daily basis, according to Wikipedia.

With that sort of visitors and content material, it made YouTube the objective of massive tech cash. Google snapped the corporate up for $1.65 billion simply 11 months after its legitimate release. 

The so much watched video is....

Though Me at the zoo used to be the primary video uploaded--and it has an outstanding quantity of perspectives (over 17 million)--it’s by way of some distance now not probably the most watched video. That name is going to the track video "Gangnam Style” through Psy. It has 2.23 billion perspectives thus far. The far away 2d position video has “most effective” 1.13 billion perspectives. That’s Justin Biber’s “Baby”.

People love puppy movies

This would possibly come as a surprise to nobody, however in line with a Pew Research Center document 31% of on-line adults have published a video on YouTube and 45% of the ones published a video of their puppy or an animal, with cats being extra common than canine.

YouTube has a few loopy stats

It’s now not the #3 so much visited web site at the Internet for no explanation why. Check out those stats from YouTube and Pew Research:

  • YouTube has greater than 1 billion customers
  • Every day other folks watch loads of hundreds of thousands of hours on YouTube and generate billions of perspectives
  • The quantity of hours individuals are observing on YouTube each and every month is up 50% yr over yr
  • 300 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube each and every minute
  • Around 60% of a author’s perspectives comes from out of doors their house u . s . a .
  • YouTube is localized in 75 nations and to be had in 61 languages
  • Half of YouTube perspectives at the moment are on cellular units
  • YouTube is the arena’s 2d biggest social networking web site, at the back of Facebook
  • 82% of 18- to 29-yr-olds used YouTube in 2014
  • 76% of blacks and 74% of Hispanics use YouTube, far more than the 57% of whites.

Happy Birthday YouTube! Here’s to the following decade!

Michael Grothaus 14:45, 13 Feb 2015
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