YouTube turns 20: Watch "Me at Zoo", the first video uploaded 20 years ago

YouTube at 20

April 24 marks a major milestone for the world’s largest video-sharing platform — YouTube is now 20 years old. The platform, which has since become one of the internet’s most influential spaces for creators, brands, and viewers alike. And, all of this started with a video titled "Mee at Zoo" uploaded by YouTube's co-founder  Jawed Karim.

The video was uploaded on April 24, 2005, by YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim. It features Karim at the San Diego Zoo, standing in front of elephants, casually explaining: “The cool thing about these guys is that they have really, really, really long, um, trunks.” The clip, which has become a piece of internet history, is still live on the platform and has now crossed over 90 million views.

Back then, YouTube was a small startup founded by three former PayPal employees. Just over a year later, in 2006, Google acquired the platform for $1.65 billion. What began as a simple site to share videos has since transformed into a massive content ecosystem and a vital part of Google’s business.

YouTube, now 20, has grown from a single zoo clip to hosting over 20 billion videos. Today, over 20 million videos are uploaded daily, with users posting 100 million comments and giving 3.5 billion likes each day. Celebrating its 20th birthday, YouTube introduced features like 4x playback speed for Premium users and a multiview experience for YouTube TV. A new “Ask Music” tool creates personalised radio stations, while users can now hum to search for songs via Song Search. Easter eggs, a special Yoodle, and celebratory creator gifts are also part of the festivities, marking two decades of video-sharing innovation.