YouTube Celebrates Fifth Birthday

It’s hard to believe, but YouTube has only been around for five years. That means it wasn’t around in the last election Bush won, MySpace and Facebook had already been around for over a year, and Twitter was just a gleam in Odeo’s (now Obvious Corp) eye. Since its creation, YouTube has changed the world, including that of movies and television. See what the innovative website is doing to celebrate its 5th birthday after the break.

The video-sharing website (now owned by Google) uploaded its first video on April 23, 2005, had a public beta version by May 2005, then officially launched that November. YouTube revolutionized the way videos are made and shared, and helped usher in a new technological age based on social networking. Its impact on TV and movies was also significant. Now it was easy for fans and studios alike to upload and share trailers, clips, and behind-the-scene footage. It also became a breeding ground for viral marketing, as we have seen with the likes of Cloverfield, District 9, and 2012. Recently, you can even watch entire television episodes and even movies in HD quality. The site has definitely come a long way.

YouTube’s First Video


YouTube has created a ‘Five Year‘ channel specifically for the anniversary, which includes some interesting features. First of all, there’s a visual timeline of the website’s history, which features specific videos and describes their impact on the site and the world. There are also videos picked by guest curators as the “most essential” videos on YouTube. The feature “My YouTube Story” has prominent individuals in the YouTube community talking about their experience with the website. You can even upload your own story.


All in all, it’s worth a look, since there is some informative stuff, as well as videos that will take you back. Let us know what some of your favorite YouTube videos and channels are in the comments below.