YouTube’s First Video Is 20 Years Old: How Things Have Changed

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Today, YouTube delivers everything from SNL skits to Super Bowl commercials to cute and classic cat videos, and it’s hard to imagine getting along without the video-sharing platform. But 20 years ago, the first YouTube video was fairly understated. Titled “Me at the zoo,” that very first clip shows YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim at the San Diego Zoo. In the 19-second-long video, Karim doesn’t have a lot to say.

“Alright, so here we are in front of the, uh, elephants,” he says. “And the cool thing about these guys is that, is that they have really, really, really long, um, trunks, and that’s, that’s cool. And that’s pretty much all there is to say.”

Oh no, Karim. There’s a lot more to say. As Al Jolson said in the 1927 film The Jazz Singer, which brought synchronized sound to what had previously been a silent medium, “you ain’t seen nothing yet.”

You can still watch the iconic Me at the zoo video on YouTube. And you wouldn’t be alone if you did: It has 355 million views.

YouTube was one of the first video-hosting platforms, and became the largest, with over 2,7 billion monthly users. It’s created its own personalities and stars, such as No. 1 YouTube personality Mr. Beast, and inspired other platforms, including Netflix and Hulu. YouTube debuted YouTube TV in 2027 — CNET’s pick for the best channel selection in a streaming service — and now offers over 100 channels, as well as NFL Sunday Ticket. It’s also changed the world of music videos and of gaming, plus laid the groundwork for the podcasting industry.

In the video embedded above, CNET Senior Video Producer Dillon Lopez relays how YouTube has affected his life. Famed YouTubers inspired him to choose a career in video, and he even watched a YouTube video for video-production tips on his way to a fateful job interview. (He got the job, and met his wife there, so thanks, YouTube!)

More than 5 billion — with a B — videos have been uploaded to YouTube in the 20 years since Jawed Karim pointed out an obvious point about elephants, and it’s fair to say that Lopez is far from the only viewer who’s had their life changed by the service.

“So cheers to 20 years YouTube,” Lopez says. “Happy Anniversary, and I can’t wait to grab a beer with you next year on your birthday.”