15 May in internet history
Things that can be dated to 15 May: 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.
What is dated to this day15 May
-
Shawn Cotter uploads the Astley video to YouTube as “Rickroll’D” and it is passed off as a link to the Grand Theft Auto IV trailer. This is the first known rickroll. Rickrolling Wikipedia — Rickrolling
-
A cold-water challenge circulates in Salem, Indiana, one of several that had gone round for years with no fixed cause. ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Wikipedia — Ice Bucket Challenge
Also around this weekWithin three days
These did not happen on 15 May. They are shown because the day itself is thin, and each one carries its own date.
-
An anonymous 4chan user asks for disquieting images that feel “off”, and the photograph is posted. The Backrooms Wikipedia — The Backrooms
-
Keith Gill posts a picture after a long silence. The shares rise 74 per cent the next day. The GameStop short squeeze Wikipedia — GameStop short squeeze
-
Another anonymous user replies with a description of the place and a name for it: the Backrooms. The Backrooms Wikipedia — The Backrooms
-
She dies aged seven, of complications from a urinary tract infection. The family announces it three days later. Grumpy Cat Wikipedia — Grumpy Cat
-
It is reissued as a single. Pretty Little Baby Wikipedia — Pretty Little Baby (Connie Francis song)
-
A full track made with the producers Billen Ted is released. Looking for a Man in Finance Wikipedia — Man in Finance
-
It finishes fourth in the Eurovision final in Basel, representing Sweden. Bara bada bastu Wikipedia — Bara bada bastu
-
Melvin Capital, the fund that lost 53 per cent in January 2021, closes. The GameStop short squeeze Wikipedia — GameStop short squeeze
-
Two men are arrested for entering his enclosure to promote a cryptocurrency. He is unharmed. Punch the Monkey Wikipedia — Punch (monkey)