Are you a Twitter fanatic, or just getting started on the platform? Either way, there are probably some fun facts about Twitter that you might not know! In this article, we’ll share 10 interesting and surprising facts about Twitter that are sure to spark your curiosity. From the origins of the Twitter bird to the most retweeted tweet of all time, you won’t want to miss these fun and fascinating tidbits!
1. Twitter's Iconic Bird Mascot Larry
Larry Bird is a former NBA player who played for the Boston Celtics, and he is considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time. The co-founder of Twitter, Biz Stone, grew up in Massachusetts and is a fan of the Boston Celtics. He chose the name “Larry” for Twitter’s bird mascot as a nod to the basketball legend. The original Twitter bird mascot was created by a designer named Simon Oxley, and it was a simple, blue bird with no name. But when the company decided to update the logo in 2012, they gave the bird a new look and named it “Larry” in honor of Larry Bird. Larry the bird is now an integral part of Twitter’s brand and is instantly recognizable around the world. He has even been featured in Twitter’s ads and marketing campaigns, and has become a beloved icon of the platform.
2. Who Has The Most Followers on Twitter?
Well, as of the date September 2021, Katy Perry was the most followed person on Twitter with over 116 million followers. Perry, an American pop singer and songwriter, joined Twitter in 2009 and quickly gained a massive following due to her hit songs and social media presence. She has used her Twitter account to connect with her fans, share personal updates, and promote her music.
However, it’s worth noting that social media follower counts can fluctuate over time, and as of today, Katy Perry is no longer the most followed person on Twitter. She has been surpassed by a number of other high-profile figures, including Justin Bieber, Barack Obama, and Cristiano Ronaldo. Nonetheless, Perry’s massive Twitter following remains a testament to the power of social media to connect people and build communities around shared interests.
3. The First Tweet Ever Sent on Twitter
It was sent on March 21, 2006 by Jack Dorsey, one of the co-founders of Twitter. The tweet read: “just setting up my twttr.” This tweet marked the beginning of what would become one of the most popular social media platforms in the world.
At the time, Dorsey was working on a project called “status,” which was a messaging platform that allowed users to update their status and share it with a group of friends. However, the concept evolved over time and became what we now know as Twitter.
The first tweet was not very exciting, but it has become a significant moment in Twitter’s history. In fact, the tweet is so important that it is permanently displayed on Twitter’s website and is often referenced by users and media outlets when discussing the history of the platform.
Since that first tweet in 2006, Twitter has grown to over 330 million active users and has become a powerful tool for communication, news dissemination, and social interaction.
4. The First Ever Viral Tweet
In 2010, a Twitter user in Japan named @pikotan posted a tweet with a cartoon whale and the message “Iku ze!!” (“Let’s go!!”) to let her followers know that she was going to visit the nearby aquarium to see a blue whale. Her tweet unexpectedly went viral and inspired a stampede of tweets that included the hashtag #WhaleForPikotan, causing the tweet rate to spike to more than 5000 tweets per second, which was unprecedented at the time.
The sudden surge of traffic overwhelmed Twitter’s servers and caused the site to crash for several hours. The incident became known as the “Whale Fail” and brought attention to the limitations of Twitter’s infrastructure at the time. In response, Twitter engineers developed a new system called the “Fail Whale” that displayed a graphic of a whale being lifted by birds to signify that the site was experiencing an overload and needed to be temporarily shut down for maintenance.
The “Fail Whale” graphic became an iconic symbol of Twitter’s early years and was often parodied and memed by users. While the “Whale Fail” was a frustrating experience for Twitter users and engineers, it also helped raise awareness of Twitter’s potential and its need for scalability and stability.
5. Twitter HQ
Twitter’s headquarters in San Francisco is located in a historic building that was once a furniture store. The building’s roof has been transformed into a lush garden that spans over 18,000 square feet. The garden features more than 50 varieties of plants, fruit trees, a vegetable garden, and an apiary that houses over 120,000 bees.
The rooftop garden was designed to be a sustainable oasis in the heart of the city, providing food for the employees, reducing the building’s energy consumption, and mitigating the effects of urban heat islands. The garden also has a chicken coop that houses eight chickens that produce fresh eggs for the staff.
The garden is maintained by a team of gardeners who use a combination of organic and sustainable practices. The gardeners also offer workshops and tours to educate the employees about the benefits of urban agriculture and sustainable living.
Twitter’s rooftop garden has received several awards for its innovative design and sustainable practices, and it has inspired other companies to create their own rooftop gardens. It’s a great example of how a company can incorporate sustainability into its operations and make a positive impact on the environment.
6. How Many Times Can a Tweet Be Re-Tweeted?
The most retweeted tweet of all time is a tweet by a high school student named Carter Wilkerson, who asked Wendy’s how many retweets he needed to get a year’s supply of free chicken nuggets. Wendy’s responded that he would need 18 million retweets, and Carter set out to try to make it happen. His tweet, which read “Yo @Wendys how many retweets for a year of free chicken nuggets?” quickly went viral, and he gained over 3.5 million retweets. While he didn’t reach the 18 million retweets goal set by Wendy’s, they still gave him a year’s supply of free chicken nuggets as a reward for his efforts.
The tweet became so popular that it surpassed the previous record holder, Ellen DeGeneres’ tweet from the 2014 Oscars selfie, which had 3.4 million retweets. Carter’s tweet gained so much attention that it was covered by major news outlets and even became a meme. Wendy’s even created a special menu item, the “Nuggs for Carter” box, in honor of the viral tweet. Overall, it was a fun and light-hearted moment on Twitter that showcased the power of social media and the willingness of brands to engage with their customers in a playful way.
7. Who Suspended The Twitter CEO?
In 2016, Twitter accidentally suspended the account of its own CEO, Jack Dorsey. The suspension lasted only 15 minutes before the account was reinstated, but during that time users were speculating about why Dorsey’s account had been suspended. Some joked that he had been suspended for violating Twitter’s terms of service, while others suggested that he had been hacked. In reality, the account had been suspended due to an internal mistake. Twitter’s automated system had mistakenly flagged Dorsey’s account as spam, leading to the temporary suspension. The incident highlighted the challenges that social media companies face in policing their platforms and preventing abuse, as even their own top executives can be mistakenly caught up in automated moderation processes.
8. This Ones A Real Name Changer
In 2012 a man named George Garratt legally changed his name to “Captain Fantastic Faster Than Superman Spiderman Batman Wolverine Hulk And The Flash Combined” in order to promote his website on Twitter. He changed his name through Deed Poll, a legal document that allows a person to change their name.
Garratt, who was 19 at the time, said he changed his name as a joke and to draw attention to his online profile, which he used to promote his writing and comedy. He had previously changed his name to “George Laurenson” in honor of his favorite band, The Housemartins.
The name change gained widespread media attention and Garratt appeared on various TV shows and news outlets to discuss his decision. He even received a shoutout from Stan Lee, the creator of many popular comic book characters.
Although the name change was meant to be temporary, Garratt stated that he enjoyed the attention it brought him and kept the name for a few years before eventually changing it back to his original name.
9. A Record Of Every Single Tweet Ever Tweeted!!!
In 2010, the Library of Congress announced that it would be archiving every public tweet ever sent on Twitter. This included all tweets dating back to the platform’s inception in 2006. The Library of Congress cited Twitter’s role in documenting significant events, such as the Arab Spring protests, as a reason for the decision.
The archive contains over 400 billion tweets and is one of the largest collections of digital information in the world. Researchers, journalists, and the general public can access the archive to study and analyze Twitter’s impact on society and culture.
However, in 2017, the Library of Congress announced that it would no longer archive every public tweet due to the sheer volume of tweets being sent every day. Instead, it would only archive tweets that are deemed historically significant or noteworthy.
Despite the change in policy, the Twitter archive at the Library of Congress remains a valuable resource for researchers and historians looking to study the impact of social media on our world.
10. Who Wants A Double Bacon Cheese Burger?
In 2013, a British man named Simon Smith legally changed his name to “Bacon Double Cheeseburger.” He made the change as part of a promotional stunt for a hamburger chain called “The Burger Collective.”
After changing his name, Smith tweeted about it, saying “My parents are slightly angry, my girlfriend’s not too pleased either. But mainly it’s good vibes and people find it hilarious.” His tweet went viral and he gained a lot of attention from the media.
Smith said that he didn’t actually eat a bacon double cheeseburger to celebrate the name change, as he is a vegetarian. However, he did say that he would consider changing his name again in the future for the right price.