Learn the history behind viral memes and create your own face swap versions
Nusret Gökçe's January 2017 Instagram video of his flamboyant salt-sprinkling technique gained 2.4 million views in 48 hours and turned him into Salt Bae — the complete origin story.
The Bernie Sanders mittens meme started with a single photo at Biden's inauguration on January 20, 2021. Photographer Brendan Smialowski captured Sanders sitting cross-legged in handmade mittens — and it became the biggest meme of the year.
The Stonks meme originated on June 5, 2017 when Facebook page Special Meme Fresh posted Meme Man in front of a stock chart. Here's the full origin story of the internet's favorite fake investor.
The Surprised Pikachu meme came from a slightly off-model animation frame in Pokémon Season 1, Episode 10. Tumblr user popokko turned it into a reaction image on September 26, 2018 — and it became the perfect expression for predictable outcomes that still somehow shock us.
Drew Scanlon blinked during a 2013 Giant Bomb stream and accidentally created the internet's go-to disbelief reaction. The full origin story of the Blinking White Guy meme.
The Two Buttons meme (Daily Struggle) was created by animator Jake Clark on October 25, 2014. Discover the real origin story, the Sweating Towel Guy inspiration, and how this exploitable comic became the internet's go-to format for impossible choices.
The UNO Draw 25 meme started on January 4, 2020 when Facebook user Damien Jones posted a customized wild card reading "call/text your recent ex or draw 25" next to a photo of a man clutching a massive hand of cards. It became the internet's go-to format for impossible decisions.
The "Change My Mind" meme originated from a February 2018 photo of Steven Crowder sitting behind a sign at Texas Christian University. Here's the full origin story of how one tweet became millions of hot takes.
The "Is This a Pigeon?" meme comes from a 1991 anime called Fighbird, where an android mistakes a butterfly for a pigeon. Here's the full origin story and why it exploded in 2018.
The Expanding Brain meme started on r/dankmemes in January 2017 as a "Whomst" joke. Here's how a 1,200-upvote post became one of the internet's most versatile irony memes.
The Doge meme originated from a February 2010 photo of Kabosu, a rescued Shiba Inu in Japan, posted by her owner Atsuko Sato. Her sideways glance spawned Comic Sans captions, Dogecoin, and one of the most enduring memes in internet history.
The Drake Hotline Bling meme originated from Drake's October 2015 music video. His awkward dance moves spawned the iconic approve/disapprove two-panel format used billions of times online.
The Roll Safe "Think About It" meme comes from actor Kayode Ewumi pointing to his temple as Reece Simpson in Hood Documentary (2016). Here's the full origin, viral timeline, and why it became the go-to template for hilariously flawed reasoning.
Success Kid started as a photo of 11-month-old Sammy Griner clenching sand on a beach in 2007. First known as "I Hate Sandcastles," it evolved into the internet's go-to image for tiny victories — then helped raise $100K for his dad's kidney transplant.
Disaster Girl originated from a January 2005 photo of 4-year-old Zoë Roth smirking at a controlled house fire in Mebane, North Carolina. Her father Dave Roth's snapshot became one of the internet's most iconic memes — and later sold as an NFT for nearly $500,000.
The true story of András Arató, the retired Hungarian electrical engineer whose forced stock photo smile became Hide the Pain Harold — one of the internet's most iconic memes.
Where did the Distracted Boyfriend meme come from? The complete origin story: Antonio Guillem's 2015 stock photo in Girona, Spain, how a Turkish prog rock Facebook group started it all, and why it won Meme of the Year at the Shorty Awards.
The Woman Yelling at a Cat meme combines Taylor Armstrong from Real Housewives (2011) with Smudge the Cat (2018). Twitter user @MISSINGEGIRL merged them on May 1, 2019, creating an instant classic.
The This Is Fine meme originated from KC Green's Gunshow webcomic #648 on January 9, 2013. Here's the full origin story, viral timeline, and why we all relate.
Learn the origin of the viral Jon Hamm eyes closed dancing meme. The "Turn the Lights Off" vibing meme explained - where it came from, why it's popular, and how to face swap yourself into the blue light club scene.
The origin of the confused Nick Young meme explained. Learn where the Swaggy P question marks meme came from, why it became the internet's go-to confused reaction, and how to face swap yourself into this classic.
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