ViralWorld

The internet in 2008

2008 was the year of Trollface, 11foot8 bridge, Christian the Lion and Disaster Girl. Part of early YouTube.

The one from 2008

Trollface

You might remember it as Problem?, Troll Face

The MS Paint face that gave internet trolling a picture of itself.

Defining moments of 2008What the year is remembered for

2008, month by monthAs it happened

  1. Project Chanology A Scientology video of Tom Cruise is posted to YouTube, and removed after a copyright claim. Wikipedia — Project Chanology

  2. Project Chanology Users of 4chan and other boards plan a response. Wikipedia — Project Chanology

  3. Project Chanology A video titled Message to Scientology is posted. Wikipedia — Project Chanology

  4. Project Chanology About 7,000 people protest in at least 100 cities, many in Guy Fawkes masks from the film V for Vendetta. Wikipedia — Project Chanology

  5. Charlie bit my finger The video passes 12 million views, up from 2.6 million at the start of February. Wikipedia — Charlie Bit My Finger

  6. The Game The webcomic xkcd publishes a strip declaring that its reader has won, and is free. Wikipedia — The Game (mind game)

  7. Simon's Cat Cat Man Do is uploaded to YouTube. Wikipedia — Simon’s Cat

  8. Music Is My Hot Hot Sex became the first YouTube video to reach one hundred million views. Wikipedia — List of most-viewed YouTube videos

  9. 11foot8 bridge Henn begins filming. Wikipedia — Norfolk Southern–Gregson Street Overpass

  10. Rickrolling Every featured link on YouTube’s homepage leads to the video. It is watched 6.6 million times that day. Wikipedia — Rickrolling

  11. The End of the World Albino Blacksheep uploads a copy to YouTube, which is watched about fourteen million times. Wikipedia — The End of the World (video)

  12. David After Dentist David DeVore Sr. films his son on the way home from the dentist, because the boy’s mother could not be at the appointment. Wikipedia — David After Dentist

  13. Loss Tim Buckley publishes the strip. A man runs into a hospital and finds his partner crying in a bed. Wikipedia — Loss (Ctrl+Alt+Del)

  14. dril The first tweet. Wikipedia — Dril

  15. Trollface Carlos Ramirez draws the comic Trolls in MS Paint and publishes it on his DeviantArt page under the name Whynne. He also posts it to 4chan, where the face is lifted out and reused. Wikipedia — Trollface

Also in 2008Older things, still moving

  1. Rickrolling Anonymous protesters outside the Church of Scientology play the song. It is the first rickroll to get mainstream attention. Wikipedia — Rickrolling

  2. Project Chanology The first street protest, by about 150 people in Orlando. Wikipedia — Project Chanology

  3. Hot or Not The site is sold, reportedly for twenty million dollars. Wikipedia — Hot or Not

  4. Project Chanology A second worldwide protest draws a similar number. Wikipedia — Project Chanology

  5. Chocolate Rain South Park’s episode Canada on Strike features the song, and the video gains more than a million views. Wikipedia — Chocolate Rain

  6. Leave Britney Alone South Park parodies it in the episode Canada on Strike. Wikipedia — Leave Britney Alone!

  7. Battle at Kruger A documentary about the footage is first shown on the National Geographic Channel. Wikipedia — Battle at Kruger

  8. Caramelldansen The sped-up version is released as a single in Japan and reaches number 16. Wikipedia — Caramelldansen

  9. Numa Numa Brolsma appears in the video for Weezer’s Pork and Beans. Wikipedia — Numa Numa (video)

  10. Rickrolling Astley rickrolls the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in person, from a cartoon float, and is voted Best Act Ever at the MTV Europe Music Awards without attending. Wikipedia — Rickrolling

  11. Evolution of Dance Evolution of Dance 2 is released as part of a marketing campaign. Wikipedia — Judson Laipply

The videos of 2008Watched

More from 2008Also remembered

On this page: 17 named things from 2008, 10 videos, 5 memes and 1 trend among them.

The years either sideNearby