YouTube Hits 20-Year Mark Since First Video Shot at San Diego Zoo

At San Diego Zoo twenty years ago, a short video kicked off what would grow into the world's largest video platform. That first YouTube upload has now reached 355 million views.

Standing by elephants, site co-founder Jawed Karim recorded a quick video that launched an online revolution. This simple moment created a platform that now hosts more than 20 trillion videos, from cat videos to cooking tutorials.

Within two years, Google recognized YouTube's huge potential. They purchased the platform from Karim and his partners Chad Hurley and Steve Chen for $1.65 billion - a gamble that proved incredibly successful.

The first video's basic nature - just someone talking to their camera at a zoo - showed people how simple sharing could be. Anyone with basic video equipment could now reach a global audience.

From that single zoo clip, YouTube evolved into a worldwide phenomenon. It now links billions through a blend of entertainment, news, and personal content that spans cultures and languages.

Each birthday brings new people to that first upload. They click to see this piece of internet history, adding to its mounting view count.

That casual zoo moment changed how we watch and share videos. Today, YouTube touches every aspect of life - from homes to offices - through devices big and small.

The platform's massive growth reflects wider shifts in how we consume media. A basic video-sharing site became the world's go-to destination for content.

The original video stays online, letting curious viewers look back at YouTube's modest beginning. Its preservation captures the story of online video's amazing journey.