17 August in internet history

Things that can be dated to 17 August: 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. 2009

   United Breaks Guitars A second song follows. A third is released in March 2010. Wikipedia — United Breaks Guitars

These did not happen on 17 August. They are shown because the day itself is thin, and each one carries its own date.

1. 19 August 2015

   Deez Nuts The person behind it is identified as a fifteen-year-old. Wikipedia — Deez Nuts (politician)

2. 19 August 2017

   Distracted boyfriend A tweet labels the girlfriend capitalism and the passing woman socialism. This is the post the format spreads from. Wikipedia — Distracted boyfriend

3. 19 August 2020

   Copypasta A baseball commentator interrupts his own on-air apology to describe a home run, and the sentence becomes a copypasta. Wikipedia — Copypasta

4. 20 August 1996

   Spooky, Scary Skeletons The song is released. Wikipedia — Spooky, Scary Skeletons