Biggest memes ever
Images, phrases and formats that got copied until nobody remembered who made the first one.
How this list is chosen
Records this archive files as memes, images or phrases, judged canonical or established, carrying a name people use. Ordered editorially rather than by date.
Not all of it was video
Eternal September
You might remember it as the September that never ended
The name Usenet gave to the month the internet stopped being theirs and never got it back.
The whole shelf
- Dancing Baby Look 1996Early web, before YouTube
- The GIF The story 1996Early web, before YouTube
- The Streisand effect Read 2003Early web, before YouTube
- Lolcat The story 2007Early YouTube
- The image macro The story 2007Early YouTube
- Trollface Look 2008Early YouTube
- Pepe the Frog Look 2008Early YouTube
- Slender Man Look 2009Early YouTube
- Grumpy Cat View original 2012The social era
- Doge Look 2013The social era
- This is fine Look 2013The social era
- The Oscar selfie Look 2014The social era
- The Dress View original 2015The platform era
- OK boomer The story 2019The platform era
- Karen The story 2020Short-form and streams
- Kilroy was here The story 1939
- Godwin's law Read 1994Early web, before YouTube
- Chinese Internet slang The story 2000Early web, before YouTube
- O RLY? The story 2003Early web, before YouTube
- 2005Early YouTube
- Poe's law The story 2005Early YouTube
- Don't Tase Me, Bro! Read 2007Early YouTube
- Caramelldansen The story 2007Early YouTube
- Rage comics Look 2008Early YouTube
- Disaster Girl Look 2008Early YouTube
- Keep Calm and Carry On Look 2008Early YouTube
- Loss Look 2008Early YouTube
- Rage comic The story 2008Early YouTube
- Boo The story 2009Early YouTube
- 2010The social era
- Wojak Look 2010The social era
- Success Kid Look 2011The social era
- Hide the Pain Harold Look 2011The social era
- The monkey selfie Look 2011The social era
- Pepper Spray Cop Look 2011The social era
- Situation Room The story 2011The social era
- Bad Luck Brian View original 2012The social era
- Ecce Homo of Borja Look 2012The social era
- Binders full of women Read 2012The social era
