YouTube was founded by former PayPal employees Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim.
The idea was born at a dinner party in San Francisco about a year before the official launch. The inspiration came from two key events in 2004: Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction at the Super Bowl, and the devastating tsunami in the Indian Ocean.
On April 23, 2005, YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim posted the very first video to YouTube, entitled "Me at the Zoo." The beta site was launched in May 2005.
Tip! You can also get the latest and greatest music videos, trends and channels from YouTube on Twitter @YouTube.