YouTube’s journey began as a dating platform before evolving into a leading video-sharing site. Founded on February 14, 2005, by Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim, the platform initially aimed to allow users to upload videos introducing themselves for dating purposes.

However, the site struggled to gain traction, with only about 40 to 60 videos uploaded shortly after its launch, leaving the founders feeling disheartened. Recognizing the lack of interest in dating content, they pivoted to allow all types of video uploads.

This shift led to rapid growth, with the first official video, ‘Me at the Zoo,’ uploaded by Karim on April 23, 2005. Within a month, YouTube attracted over 30,000 daily viewers and reached 25 million views by the end of its first year.

The platform’s success caught Google’s attention, leading to its acquisition for $1.65 billion in November 2006. Today, YouTube stands as one of Google’s largest revenue generators.