YouTube launched in May 2005 with a specific goal; to make it possible for users to easily upload and share videos with each other. The type of content wasn't particularly important, as long as the process was easy for the uploader and the viewer. Not long after it launched, YouTube built a multi-million community of users and became a well known brand.

The site now exceeds over two billion views daily, which it points out is double the prime-time audience of all three major U.S. television networks combined. It has hosted all kinds of video content from homemade videos to coverage of social unrest, such as the Iranian election protests in 2009 that showed the power of social media to spread information. The website is currently blocked in China.



More than 24 hours of video footage is currently uploaded to YouTube every single minute.

YouTube has launched the YouTube FiveYear Channel, which includes the "My YouTube Story" project where users from all over the world describe how YouTube affected their lives. Users can submit videos here, and they may be selected for the My YouTube Story project.

Some of YouTube's short history

:

• February 2005 - YouTube.com is registered and work on the project begins.
  
• April 23, 2005 - The first video, titled "Me at the zoo", is uploaded to YouTube.
  
• May 2005 - YouTube gets Beta launch.
  
• June 2005 - YouTube enables "embed" option, a key element in its success.
  
• December 2005 - YouTube is officially launched. At this time, 9 million videos are watched daily.
  
• March 2006 - YouTube launched content verification and filtering technology.
  
• May 2006 - Feature allowing users to make "Video Responses" is added.
  
• July 2006 - YouTube hits 100 million video views per day.
  
• August 2006 - YouTube adds advertising features to the service.
  
• October 2006 - Google Inc. acquires YouTube for $1.65 billion.
  
• March 2007 - Viacom files $1 billion lawsuit against YouTube, alleging it found 150,000 unauthorized clips of its material on YouTube, viewed over 1.5 billion times.
  
• June 2007 - YouTube launches localized sites in 9 countries, and launches YouTube Mobile site.
  
• June to November 2007 - YouTube collaborates with CNN for a series of political debates.
  
• August 2007 - YouTube introduces InVideo Ads.
  
• September 2007 - Non-profit channels launched.
  
• October 2007 - Content management system "Content ID" is launched. The system checks uploaded content against a database of copyrighted content.
  
• December 2007 - YouTube launches Partner Program.
  
• January 2008 - Users upload 10 hours of video to YouTube every minute.
  
• March 2008 - YouTube offers Insight analytics tool.
  
• April 2008 - YouTube launches Screening Room.
  
• May 2008 - Users upload 13 hours of video every minute.
  
• June 2008 - YouTube offers ability to add Annotations to videos. The service is integrated into Sony BRAVIA TVs.
  
• August 2008 - Captions are added.
  
• October 2008 - Users upload 15 hours of video every minute. CBS and MGM offer full-length programming via YouTube.
  
• November 2008 - Promoted Videos and Pre-Roll ads come to YouTube.
  
• December 2008 - YouTube goes HD with 720p video support launched.
  
• January 2009 - U.S. Congress and Presidential YouTube channels are launched.
  
• March 2009 - YouTube signs deal with Disney.
  
• April 2009 - YouTube LLC receives Peabody award. YouTube adds hundreds of movies and thousands of full-length TV episodes.
  
• May 2009 - Users upload 20 hours of video every minute.
  
• June 2009 - YouTube "autoshare" integrates video service with social networks and Webmail accounts.
  
• July 2009 - YouTube launches 3D features.
  
• October 2009 - YouTube announces 1 billion views per day and streams U2 concert live. The site signs a deal with Channel 4 for catch-up TV content.
  
• November 2009 - YouTube goes FullHD with support for 1080p content.
  
• January 2010 - YouTube launches Independent rentals.
  
• February 2010 - President Obama does live-streamed YouTube interview.
  
• March 2010 - YouTube redesigns video pages. Users upload 24 hours of view per minute.
  
• April 2010 - YouTube live-streams Indian Premier League cricket season to the world.
  
• May 2010 - YouTube exceeds 2 billion views per day.

YouTube is localized in 22 different countries in 24 different languages, and now receives 70 percent of all its video uploads from outside the United States. To date, the most popular video on YouTube is Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance", with over 200 million views.

Written by: James Delahunty @ 17 May 2010 21:40