YouTube has come a long way since it first launched back in 2005. With more than 1.3 billion videos in its archives, and its biggest stars earning six-figure salaries, it’s evolved into one of the most powerful social media platforms around.
And it all started with a trip to the zoo...
Here are the first 10 videos ever published to YouTube.
1. 'Me at the Zoo', Jawed Karim - April 23, 2005
2. 'My Snowboarding Skillz', MW - April 23, 2005
3. 'Tribute', GP - April 24, 2005
4. 'Premature Baldness', Paul - April 28, 2005
5. 'Carrie Rides a Truck', Jones4Carrie - April 30, 2005
6. 'Cybergoon Squad', Greg - May 2, 2005
7. 'Vernal Lullaby', Adam Quirk - May 2, 2005
8. 'Pajamas and Nick Drake', Steve - May 22, 2005
9. 'First Back Flip on YouTube!', Cobaltgruv - May 24, 2005
10. 'Stadion Bayen Munchen', Dominoes - June 13, 2005
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1. 'Me at the Zoo', Jawed Karim - April 23, 2005
The first ever YouTube video was posted on April 23, 2005. Just 18 seconds long and filmed on a grainy camera, the clip features Jawed Karim – one of YouTube’s founders – discussing the length of an elephant’s trunk at San Diego Zoo. Amazingly, it has more than 90 million views.
“Alright so here we are in front of the elephants,” a young Karim tells the camera. “The cool thing about these guys is that they have, um, really, really, really long trunks, and that’s cool. And that’s pretty much all there is to say.”
2. 'My Snowboarding Skillz', MW - April 23, 2005
Hot on the tails of Me at the Zoo was a clip that would go on to pave the way for YouTube's many, many "fail" videos. Entitled My Snowboarding Skillz – the z really placing it firmly in that Noughties era – this 10-second clip, also published on April 23, 2005, shows that uploader MW's snowboarding skills are almost as good as the camera quality.
3. 'Tribute', GP - April 24, 2005
The third video to be uploaded to YouTube, on April 24 2005, doesn't look too dissimilar to some of the TikToks making the rounds on social media today. The sole video from user GP, Tribute shows a man jumping between two walls and screaming, before being congratulated by the cameraman at the end. The five-second clip has no context and seemingly no purpose, much like many viral clips today.
4. 'Premature Baldness', Paul - April 28, 2005
The fourth video to be uploaded to YouTube, on April 28, 2005, shows a long-haired man known only as Paul shaving a bald patch into his blonde locks on a busy beach walk in Waikiki Beach, Hawaii. Unlike the previous clips, this is a video that has been cut and edited, and comes with a description explaining that Paul wanted to know what he would look like at the age of 50.
The video has since been unlisted. We can't imagine why ...
5. 'Carrie Rides a Truck', Jones4Carrie - April 30, 2005
The fifth video to be uploaded to YouTube is much as the title suggests. This short and soundless 15-second clip shows a girl named Carrie, riding in a truck. Granted, it's a toy truck of the coin-operated variety, but other than that, the video does very much what it says on the tin. It was uploaded on April 30, 2005 by user Jones4Carrie, who was responsible for many of the first videos uploaded to the platform.
6. 'Cybergoon Squad', Greg - May 2, 2005
Cybergoon Squad is the six video, and the first animated video, to be uploaded to YouTube, and it also takes the title of the first truly weird clip to surface on the site. This five-second animation shows three cyborg-esque characters strolling hastily through a metallic tunnel. Who knows where they are going, or why, but the clip has almost 160,000 views. (Please note - video has been taken down from YouTube)
7. 'Vernal Lullaby', Adam Quirk - May 2, 2005
This grainy clip is the seventh YouTube video to be published, and shows scenes in New York City set to Queens of the Stone Age's track This Lullaby. It is one of the longer clips from the early days of YouTube, at one minute 23 seconds. It appears to be the first of many fan-made music videos that can now be found on the platform.
8. 'Pajamas and Nick Drake', Steve - May 22, 2005
The eighth video in the list really paved the way for one of YouTube's runaway genres – cat videos. The 30-second clip, showing a pet owner teasing their cat with a string toy in a dimly lit room, has more than 120,000 views and was uploaded by a man known simply as Steve, who, whether he knows it or not, has become the trendsetter of a generation.
9. 'First Back Flip on YouTube!', Cobaltgruv - May 24, 2005
As you can tell from the title of this one, user CobaltGruv knew he was ahead of the game. This one-minute clip has had far more go into it than the handful of YouTube videos that came before it. There are captions that run across the screen in fancy blue font, psychedelic music, and there's even slow motion as the man successfully lands a back flip from the roof of his house on to his front lawn. Unlike many of the early YouTubers, this user is still active today with back flip and trick videos, although, thankfully, his editing skills have developed with the times.
10. 'Stadion Bayen Munchen', Dominoes - June 13, 2005
And finally, the tenth video to hit YouTube is a 40-second pan of the Olympiastadion in Munich, Germany. The camera quality is extremely grainy and jumpy, but the clip, taken from the top of the stands, gives you a sweeping view of the impressive structure, if you squint hard enough. Uploaded on June 13, 2005, it has had 23,000 views and is the first football-related video to grace YouTube's archives.
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Company Profile
Company name: NutriCal
Started: 2019
Founder: Soniya Ashar
Based: Dubai
Industry: Food Technology
Initial investment: Self-funded undisclosed amount
Future plan: Looking to raise fresh capital and expand in Saudi Arabia
Total Clients: Over 50
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
If you go...
Flying
There is no simple way to get to Punta Arenas from the UAE, with flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi requiring at least two connections to reach this part of Patagonia. Flights start from about Dh6,250.
Touring
Chile Nativo offers the amended Los Dientes trek with expert guides and porters who are met in Puerto Williams on Isla Navarino. The trip starts and ends in Punta Arenas and lasts for six days in total. Prices start from Dh8,795.
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INDIA SQUADS
India squad for third Test against Sri Lanka
Virat Kohli (capt), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Vijay Shankar
India squad for ODI series against Sri Lanka
Rohit Sharma (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul
THE BIO
BIO:
Born in RAK on December 9, 1983
Lives in Abu Dhabi with her family
She graduated from Emirates University in 2007 with a BA in architectural engineering
Her motto in life is her grandmother’s saying “That who created you will not have you get lost”
Her ambition is to spread UAE’s culture of love and acceptance through serving coffee, the country’s traditional coffee in particular.
FIGHT%20CARD
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More on animal trafficking
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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TOUCH RULES
Touch is derived from rugby league. Teams consist of up to 14 players with a maximum of six on the field at any time.
Teams can make as many substitutions as they want during the 40 minute matches.
Similar to rugby league, the attacking team has six attempts - or touches - before possession changes over.
A touch is any contact between the player with the ball and a defender, and must be with minimum force.
After a touch the player performs a “roll-ball” - similar to the play-the-ball in league - stepping over or rolling the ball between the feet.
At the roll-ball, the defenders have to retreat a minimum of five metres.
A touchdown is scored when an attacking player places the ball on or over the score-line.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
About Tenderd
Started: May 2018
Founder: Arjun Mohan
Based: Dubai
Size: 23 employees
Funding: Raised $5.8m in a seed fund round in December 2018. Backers include Y Combinator, Beco Capital, Venturesouq, Paul Graham, Peter Thiel, Paul Buchheit, Justin Mateen, Matt Mickiewicz, SOMA, Dynamo and Global Founders Capital
