What was the First YouTube Video and How Did YouTube Start?

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Ah YouTube, a place where any beautifully bearded British bald man with a microphone and nerdy, socially awkward American, who despite being 42 from the sounds of it is still waiting on puberty to hit, can go to team up across oceans and make the world’s greatest edutainment channel according to the words that just came out of my mouth. In fact, just about anyone these days with a cell phone and a dream can make it big coming to this platform and, with very little technical know-how, launch whatever channel they want and put it in front of one of the largest audiences in the world, no longer beholden to the gatekeepers of yor. And, hey, if you don’t yet have the knowledge or skills needed to implement your vision, we’re quite confident that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of youtube videos out there that will teach you exactly what you need to know, for free. All that is required of you is time, effort, and a fair amount of determination to keep going and improving. On that note, fun fact about this channel, it took 532 videos until the channel took off. But while today YouTube is arguably one of the most well known brands and websites in the world, with about 2 billion active users in any given month, and has been one of the biggest revolutions in entertainment since Napster, Youtube isn’t even old enough to drink in the United States, at just 18 years old. Not only that, it turns out when YouTube was first started, it was not meant to be a general video sharing platform but, rather, a dating and hookup website. So how did they go from a site to seek a spicy time partner to one where even this guy can somehow be watched by millions? And just what was the first ever YouTube video? (Which by the way doesn’t appear to be what literally everyone says. More on that in the Bonus Facts later.) But for now, have a seat on your porcelain throne or prepare your meal and sit down to eat, which we’re pretty sure comprises 90% of all views on YouTube outside of people using these videos to distract their brains from thoughts of the inevitability of death while trying to fall asleep... And, either way, let’s dive into it shall we?

This video is #sponsored by Bespoke Post.