Twitter turns 10 today, March 21, 2016.
Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams, Biz Stone, and Noah Glass and launched in July 2006.
“People come to Twitter to connect and engage with their interests.” (Twitter for Business)
Dorsey introduced the idea for Twitter a using an SMS service to communicate with a small group and the code name for the project was “twttr”. The site was launched at twttr because the doman name twitter.com was taken. Six months after the launch they purchased the domain name and changed the official name to Twitter.
Twitter is defined as “a ‘short burst of inconsequential information’ and chirps from birds.”
Since its launch in 2006 Twitter has grown, there are 320 million active users, 1 billion unique visits to sites embedded with tweets.
Twitter’s mission is to give everyone the power to create and share ideas and information instantly, without barriers.
Twitter’s tweets are now ranked in search results on Google and after 10 years the site has changed the feed from showing chronological tweets in real time to using an algorithm that will show users tweets that match their preferences or interests.
There are some crazy statistics and facts about Twitter, including:
- There is a Twitter account that narrates World War 2 in “real-time.”
- In 2013 someone hacked the Associated Press’ account and tweeted the White House had been bombed – causing the stock market to crash within seconds.
- After Michael Jackson’s death he was mentioned at a rate of 5,000 tweets per minute.
- The Vatican states that you can reduce your time in purgatory if you follow the Pope on Twitter.
- Facebook has offered to buy Twitter twice, they were turned down both times (obvsiously!)
Ellen DeGeneres still holds the record for the most re-tweeted tweet with the famous selfie taken by Bradley Cooper at the 2014 Oscars.
As for first tweets, Twitter founder Jack Dorsey famously tweeted he was “just setting up my twttr” on March 21, 2006 – if you are interested in seeing your very first tweet you can – go to: Twitter.com/First-Tweet.
Happy Birthday Twitter, here’s to another 10 years!
Sources:
https://about.twitter.com/company
http://www.scoopwhoop.com/inothernews/amazing-twitter-facts/
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2391157,00.asp
Fail Whale: https://www.flickr.com/photos/orvice/4358337839