Nothing says throwback Thursday like posting your first tweet ever. Twitter's eighth birthday is tomorrow, March 21 and the microblogging site is celebrating in style with first-tweets.com, a web tool that lets users find their first tweet ever and tweet it.
The tool also lets you look up famous first tweets from celebrities, politicians and more. It's an amazing and enlightening experience browsing through all these first tweets. Perhaps the most impressive first tweet is the first tweet of all, which was posted by the company's founder Jack Dorsey at 4:50 p.m. on March 21, 2006.
"just setting up my twttr," Dorsey famously tweeted. That legendary tweet has been retweeted 22,614 times and favorited 20,828 times in the past eight years.
Over the course of his career, President Barack Obama often used Twitter to his advantage, communicating to his most loyal followers about his goals, actions and dreams. On April 29, 2007, then-Senator Obama tweeted for the first time about his efforts to end the war in Iraq:
"Thinking we're only one signature away from ending the war in Iraq. Learn more at https://www.barackobama.com," Obama tweeted.
On a more frivolous note, the current queen of Twitter, Katy Perry's first tweet was more of a subtle jab at the microblogging platform than anything:
"Just got into Berlin... feeling better thank you, have my vicks inhaler by my bedside... and P.S. I TWITTTTER! GAH. Such a follower!" Perry tweeted.
Meanwhile, the king of Twitter, Justin Bieber's first tweet comes off as super outdated:
"Check out my single "ONE TIME" on my myspace and spread the word for me. Thanks www.myspace.com/justinbieber"
He mentioned myspace, for the love of God, myspace. Granted, it was 2009, but still.
Although Twitter is widely used by celebrities and companies to promote themselves and their work, it has also served as a platform for some of the most momentous protest movements in modern history. Ukraine, Syria, Egypt, Venezuela and more struggled and sometime succeeded in overthrowing dictators by organizing followers on Twitter.
Twitter has also helped break news more times than anyone can count, as well as kept people informed in dangerous situations like during the Boston Marathon.
Twitter has a lot to be proud on on its eighth birthday. It has changed the world, the way journalists report and discover news, as well as the ways in which we communicate. So, happy birthday Twitter!
P.S. You can check out your first tweet here.
