Today 20 March, social media platform Twitter clocks 9 and in a statement made available to Innovation Village, the company said Twitter is what it is because of the people who use it.
“After all, it’s because of you that we have product features like hashtags and best practices such as live-Tweeting. Today, these are deeply rooted elements of Twitter and part of mainstream cultural vernacular,” Twitter said.
On March 21 2006, Twitter’s Co-founder Jack Dorsey Tweeted first, when the service was called “Twttr.”
just setting up my twttr
— Jack (@jack) March 21, 2006
In August 2007, early Twitter user Chris Messina proposed the use of a hashtag to denote people at the same live event.
how do you feel about using # (pound) for groups. As in #barcamp [msg]?
— Chris Messina® (@chrismessina) August 23, 2007
In June 2008 when the Mars Phoenix Lander found ice on Mars, NASA used Twitter to break the news
Are you ready to celebrate? Well, get ready: We have ICE!!!!! Yes, ICE, *WATER ICE* on Mars! w00t!!! Best day ever!!
— MarsPhoenix (@MarsPhoenix) June 20, 2008
In 2009, Janis Krums happened to be on a ferry when a plane went down in the Hudson River. He used Twitter to report this.
http://twitpic.com/135xa – There’s a plane in the Hudson. I’m on the ferry going to pick up the people. Crazy.
— J?nis Kr?ms (@jkrums) January 15, 2009
In a royal first, Clarence House, the Prince of Wales’ private office, in November 2010 created a Twitter account to announce Prince William’s engagement to Kate Middleton.
The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince William to Miss Catherine Middleton – www.princeofwales.gov.uk
— Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) November 16, 2010
Up late one night in May 2011, Sohaib Athar inadvertently live-tweeted the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan.
Helicopter hovering above Abbottabad at 1AM (is a rare event).
— Sohaib Athar (@ReallyVirtual) May 1, 2011
Before he appeared publicly to affirm his second presidential win, President Obama in November 2012 noted it on Twitter. And within hours it became the most retweeted for the year.
Four more years. pic.twitter.com/bAJE6Vom
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 7, 2012
In 2013, two bombs shook the Boston Marathon – and the world. As news of the blasts and the manhunt spread, Twitter became crucial for journalists, police and citizens alike.
BREAKING: A witness reports hearing two loud booms near the Boston Marathon finish line.
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) April 15, 2013
In 2014, TV show host Ellen DeGeneres posted the most popular picture that became the most retweeted Tweet to date.
If only Bradley’s arm was longer. Best photo ever. #oscarspic.twitter.com/C9U5NOtGap
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) March 3, 2014
This year, as news broke about the attack at the offices of French magazine @Charlie_Hebdo, people everywhere turned to Twitter. @JoachimRoncin’s Tweet soon became a rallying cry for free speech.
— joachim (@joachimroncin) January 7, 2015
Nigeria also appeared in Twitter’s history when on April 23 2014, a Nigerian lawyer, posted the first #BringBackOurGirls tweet that became a global movement reaching everyone from the remote locations in Nigeria to The White House.
Yes #BringBackOurDaughters #BringBackOurGirls declared by @obyezeks and all people at Port Harcourt World Book Capital 2014. — Ibrahim M. Abdullahi (@Abu_Aaid) April 23, 2014
