Little-Known Facts About YouTube, The First Video Platform
It’s hard to believe in a world before YouTube. A time before we could simply search and stream any content that the human mind could imagine? Get real. Yet this site isn’t going anywhere.
The existence of endless video and easy uploading has changed not only the way we consume music, film, and television, but the very meaning of the words “like,” “share,” and “subscribe.”
Kids used to dream of being movie stars, but now they dream of being professional vloggers. When did that change happen?
Where there’s big money and big fame at stake, there are big scandals—the platform is no exception. How did YouTuber founders fund their venture? Which videos shattered records? Where is it mostly banned?
Just how much YouTube do we consume by the minute?
1. Who’s Got Time for a Binge-Watch?
Every minute, over 100 hours of content are uploaded to YouTube.
2. Zoo You See Me?
Having a monkey of a time? You should know the first-ever YouTube video was posted on April 23, 2005, by YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim on a trip to the San Diego Zoo. It also features the song “Sandstorm” by Darude.
3. It Pays to Be a Pal
Three founding members of YouTube—Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim—came up with the idea when they were employees at PayPal.
4. Shopping Spree
On November 12, 2006, Google famously bought YouTube after just 18 months after the site’s creation. The price tag? A not-bad $1.65 billion.
