What was the title of the first video uploaded to YouTube?
Answer
Me at the zoo
The first video uploaded to YouTube was titled “Me at the zoo.”
Jawed Karim uploaded the 19-second clip on April 23, 2005. It shows Karim standing in front of elephants at the San Diego Zoo and briefly commenting on their trunks. Karim co-founded YouTube with Steve Chen and Chad Hurley.
The video is historically important because it predates YouTube’s public launch by several months. YouTube officially launched in November 2005, after the founders developed the service as a simple way to share video online.
A common mix-up is confusing the first upload with the first video to become a major viral hit. “Me at the zoo” was not a mainstream hit; its importance comes from being the earliest surviving upload on the platform. Google acquired YouTube in 2006, but YouTube remains a distinct video service within Google’s corporate structure.