Happy Birthday, YouTube!

Yes, not only is it Valentine’s Day but YouTube was launched on this very day seven years ago. With over a trillion playbacks on YouTube last year, the user generated video site continues to engage more and more users every day. YouTube was first created by Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and Jawed Karim as a video sharing site which provides the opportunity to upload and share home videos without the use of any hi-tech gadgets but simple video cameras or cell phones instead!


Although YouTube’s anniversary is officially 14 February 2005, the first video posted on YouTube was actually on 23 April 2005. Bet most of you have never thought of searching for the first every YouTube video. But here it is- a 19 second video featuring one of the YouTube founders, Jawed Karim at a zoo in San Diego titled “Me at the zoo”:


Doesn’t look like much, does it? But this revolutionary idea quickly caught up with the rest of the world and a year later, more than 65,000 videos were uploaded on to YouTube every single day!

Youtube has also changed video making over the years. Amateur video makers are beginning to shine and plenty of artistic Do-It-Yourself animation has been brought to light. Instead of shooting in the regular, linear manner, some video enthusiasts experiment with different techniques to give their videos a more different, unusual and memorable edge. One of our favourites is a creative video titled “MOVE” by travel agents, STA Travel Australia where a six week journey is crammed into one colourful minute. We gotta say the video editing simply blew us away, we don’t think we need to explain why we love it:


Doesn’t that just make you wanna pack your bags and go explore the world?

Thanks to YouTube, many YouTubers are able to upload their original videos for free and some have even found fame via the video sharing site. Teenage popstar sensation, Justin Bieber posted homemade videos of himself singing on Youtube when he was only 12. By then talent scouts were already noticing him and one of them arranged for the youngster to meet with Usher, who has signed him up as his protégé. Check out Bieber belting out a tune before he had hit stardom:


As pioneers, YouTube has inspired most sites to have a video section as we have one on Koolred as well. We have had travellers post snippets of their travels on Koolred and it has also bought us some brilliant works by video makers with a unique, artistic way of shooting a video. One of our favourites was a contest video entry by one of our Redsters Ramda Yanurzha in the Travel Video Contest last year, that truly captures the raw essence of Singapore in a 35mm width film:


There are too many videos out there, and it’d be impossible for us to list down all of our favourites. Nonetheless, YouTube has definitely made its mark as the premier destination to watch and share original videos online.

Is there a YouTube video you love or a channel that you’re subscribed to and you watch religiously? How has Youtube changed your life? Do you personally have a channel on Youtube? Drop us your shout out to YouTube as they celebrate yet another successful anniversary.

Koolred's on YouTube as well. Suscribe to us today.