YouTube at 20: How One Zoo Video Sparked a Global Shift

Twenty years ago, on a sunny day, April 23, 2005, an unassuming young man made a video called - Me at the zoo - it went live on YouTube, as its first video. A simple, 18-second video featuring Jawed Karim—one of YouTube’s co-founders—standing in front of the elephant enclosure at the San Diego Zoo, casually talking about trunks. That’s it. No one watching could’ve guessed this would be the first spark of a digital wildfire that manifested into something no one would have thought at that time.

This is a story about how Jawed Karim along with other founders, Chad Hurley and Steve Chen, changed the face of the Internet with that launch video. By the way that very first video is still up, still unedited, and two decades later, it’s a reminder of how far we’ve come and how YouTube has become a sort of utility.

Writes Viraj Mahesh, Senior Product Manager, YouTube blog, “ YouTube is turning 20! From the 19-second clip that started it all, to now over 20 billion uploaded videos,1 including music, Shorts, podcasts, and more, we’ve grown so much in just two decades. We’re kicking off our birthday with plenty of ways to celebrate.”

Viraj also shared key data points ( see below) that underscore, how powerful YouTube has become over the last two decades by sharing some fun facts.

 Jawed Karim: The Silent Architect of a Loud Revolution

Back then in 2005, YouTube was just a scrappy experiment: a platform where people could upload and share videos easily. There was no algorithm feeding you an endless stream, no monetization dreams, no influencers or unboxings—just people sharing moments. Fast-forward 20 years, and YouTube has become one of the most powerful cultural phenomena, where stars are born, from news breaks to heartbreaks, and whatever is conceivable under the sun. It’s a melting pot, a platform that fosters collective human creativity.

Now, we can hear you asking - what about Jawed Karim, the quiet co-founder who unknowingly became the platform’s first creator? Unlike many tech founders, he stepped away early. After YouTube was founded with Chad Hurley and Steve Chen, Karim opted for a more behind-the-scenes role. He didn’t stick around for the day-to-day hustle, but when Google acquired YouTube in 2006 for $1.65 billion, Karim walked away with $64 million in stock for his efforts.

Since then, he's remained almost in the shadows—a typical  OG ( Original" or "Pioneer) tech founder who never chased the limelight. His YouTube channel still only has that one video but has 5.3 million subscribers. But now and then, he surfaces. The last was he quietly updating the video’s description to express disapproval of YouTube’s decisions. He’s called out Google+ integration, protested the removal of the dislike button, and generally reminded the world that even the quietest voices can shape platforms.

From one casual clip to a global phenomenon, YouTube’s journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. And at its heart remains that wonderfully ordinary moment—a reminder that sometimes, the simplest things spark the biggest revolutions.

Happy 20th, YouTube. And hey, thanks, Jawed.