**YouTube Celebrates 20 Years: Reflecting on Its Unforeseen Beginnings**
February 14, 2025, is a noteworthy day—not only is it Valentine’s Day, but it also marks the 20th anniversary of YouTube.
The largest video-sharing platform globally was launched on February 14, 2005, by three ex-PayPal employees: Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. On this day, they officially chose the name “YouTube” and registered the domain, signifying the start of what would evolve into one of the most frequented websites ever.
### YouTube’s Surprising Origins
In the beginning, YouTube was not meant to be the video platform we recognize today. The founders have cited several influences for the site—including the challenge of finding footage from the notorious Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake Super Bowl halftime performance—but their original idea was quite different.
Initially, YouTube was intended as an **online dating platform**. Yes, that’s correct! The site encouraged users to upload videos presenting themselves to potential partners. The connection to Valentine’s Day becomes much clearer now!
You can experience this firsthand by viewing the [earliest archived iteration](https://web.archive.org/web/20050428014715/http://www.youtube.com/) of YouTube from April 2005 on the Wayback Machine of the Internet Archive. The homepage contained fields for users to choose their gender, the gender of their desired match, and their age range—clearly indicating its focus on dating.
Unfortunately, the dating concept did not take off. To draw in users, the founders even posted on Craigslist, offering $20 to women willing to share a video. Despite their attempts, there was no engagement, leading them to reconsider their strategy.
### The Inaugural YouTube Video
Recognizing that the dating concept wasn’t effective, the founders shifted gears and opened YouTube for all kinds of video uploads. This decision transformed everything.
On April 23, 2005, Jawed Karim uploaded the very first YouTube video, titled [“Me at the zoo.”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQXAC9IVRw) The video shows Karim in front of elephants at the San Diego Zoo, casually discussing the animals.
By December 2005, YouTube officially became available to the public.
### YouTube’s Journey to Dominance
Even though YouTube is now a household name in online video, it wasn’t the first of its kind—Vimeo had launched a year prior, for instance. However, YouTube quickly attracted users, in part due to viral content.
A pivotal moment arrived in December 2005, when *Saturday Night Live* featured its “Lazy Sunday” sketch by The Lonely Island. An unauthorized upload of the sketch went viral on YouTube, establishing the platform as the primary destination for viral videos.
Less than a year later, in November 2006, Google purchased YouTube for $1.65 billion, securing its position in the annals of internet history.
### Two Decades of YouTube
From its origins as a failed dating site to its status as a global video giant, YouTube has significantly evolved over the past 20 years. Today, it stands as one of the most powerful platforms on the internet, influencing entertainment, education, and culture across the globe.
Happy 20th anniversary, YouTube!