Before YouTube became one of the biggest websites in the world, it started with a simple 19-second video.
That video was uploaded by Jawed Karim, one of the three co-founders of YouTube. On April 23, 2005, Karim uploaded a short video titled “Me at the zoo”, making it the first video ever uploaded to YouTube.
Watch the First Video on YouTube
The video is only about 19 seconds long. In it, Jawed Karim stands in front of elephants at the San Diego Zoo and briefly talks about their long trunks.
It may look like an ordinary home video today, but it became a historic moment on the internet.
Who Is Jawed Karim?
Jawed Karim is a computer scientist and internet entrepreneur who was born in East Germany and grew up in Germany and the United States. He is best known as one of the three co-founders of YouTube.
Karim studied computer science and later worked at PayPal. It was during his time at PayPal that he worked with Steve Chen and Chad Hurley, who would later join him in creating YouTube.
Karim was the person who uploaded YouTube’s very first video.
Who Were the Other YouTube Co-Founders?
YouTube was founded in 2005 by three people:
- Jawed Karim – YouTube co-founder and the person who uploaded the first video.
- Steve Chen – YouTube co-founder and an important part of the company’s early technical development.
- Chad Hurley – YouTube co-founder and the company’s first CEO, who played a major role in its design and user experience.
The three founders had previously worked at PayPal. Together, they created YouTube and helped launch a platform that would completely change how people share and watch videos online.
Why Is the First YouTube Video Important?
Today, anyone can record a video on a smartphone and upload it within seconds. In 2005, online video was still relatively new.
The first YouTube video represented the simple idea behind the platform: people could record videos and easily share them online.
There were no special effects, professional cameras, or elaborate production. It was simply a short video recorded at a zoo.
But that simple upload became the beginning of YouTube’s history.
Jawed Karim’s Place in YouTube History
Jawed Karim may not be as publicly visible as many modern YouTube creators, but his name is permanently connected to the platform’s history.
He was one of the three people who founded YouTube, and he uploaded the very first video on the site.
The video “Me at the zoo” remains available on YouTube and has become one of the most recognizable pieces of internet history.
From a 19-second video at a zoo to a global platform watched by people around the world, YouTube’s journey began with a remarkably simple idea.
And the person who made that first upload was Jawed Karim, one of YouTube’s three co-founders.
