5 January in internet history

Things that can be dated to 5 January: the day something was posted, a record that changed hands, an event research has pinned to a date. Every entry links to where it was read.

1. 2005

   The Streisand effect Mike Masnick, writing about a different takedown demand, proposes the name. Wikipedia — Streisand effect

These did not happen on 5 January. They are shown because the day itself is thin, and each one carries its own date.

1. 2 January 2022

   Wordle More than 300,000 play. A week later the figure is over two million. Wikipedia — Wordle

2. 4 January 2012

   Cicada 3301 The first puzzle is posted. It runs for nearly a month. Wikipedia — Cicada 3301

3. 4 January 2013

   Cicada 3301 A second begins. Wikipedia — Cicada 3301

4. 4 January 2014

   Cicada 3301 A third is posted on Twitter. Wikipedia — Cicada 3301

5. 4 January 2019

   Instagram egg The egg is posted, with the stated aim of beating the 18 million likes on a photograph by Kylie Jenner. Wikipedia — Instagram egg

6. 6 January 2021

   PogChamp Twitch removes the emote after Gutierrez posts in support of further unrest following the attack on the United States Capitol. Wikipedia — PogChamp

7. 7 January 2006

   The Million Dollar Homepage An attack takes the site offline for about a week, with a demand for 5,000 dollars to stop. Wikipedia — The Million Dollar Homepage

8. 7 January 2017

   Salt Bae The video of Gökçe carving and salting a steak is posted. It is viewed more than sixteen million times on Instagram. Wikipedia — Salt Bae

9. 7 January 2019

   Baby Shark Dance The song enters the Billboard Hot 100 at number 32. Wikipedia — Baby Shark

10. 7 January 2022

    Cheugy The American Dialect Society names it informal word of the year for 2021. Wikipedia — Cheugy

11. 7 January 2026

    Conformity Gate The hour believers had named passes with no new episode. Netflix has a technical outage shortly before it. Wikipedia — Conformity Gate

12. 8 January 1994

    Eternal September In a thread about new users, Karl Reinsch replies that it is “perpetually September”. Wikipedia — Eternal September

13. 8 January 2010

    Double Rainbow Paul Vasquez films two rainbows from his property in Mariposa County and uploads the video the same day. Wikipedia — Double Rainbow (viral video)

14. 8 January 2021

    PogChamp Twitch begins showing a different streamer’s face under the name every twenty-four hours. Wikipedia — PogChamp