Twitter, now known as X, celebrates its 20th anniversary today. Launched on July 15, 2006, as 'twttr', the platform has transformed global communication, politics, and culture. Here is a timeline of key moments told through tweets.
The first tweet and early milestones
Co-founder Jack Dorsey sent the first tweet on March 21, 2006: 'just setting up my twttr'. This five-word message marked the birth of a platform that would reshape the world.
On January 15, 2009, Janis Krums tweeted a photo of a plane in the Hudson River after the 'Miracle on the Hudson' landing. His tweet broke the news faster than any TV station, establishing Twitter as a primary news source.
Political and cultural impact
In 2011, British politician Ed Balls accidentally tweeted his own name, creating an annual internet tradition known as 'Ed Balls Day'. President Barack Obama celebrated his 2012 reelection with the tweet 'Four more years', demonstrating Twitter's power to unite politicians and supporters.
The Pope joined Twitter in 2013, marking the platform's adoption by major institutions. That same year, Justine Sacco's offensive tweet before a flight led to her firing upon landing, showcasing Twitter's capacity for mob justice.
From threads to films
In 2015, Aziah 'Zola' King started a 148-tweet thread that became the basis for the A24 film 'Zola', proving Twitter could generate real-world culture. The Fyre Festival disaster in 2017 was first exposed on Twitter by attendee Seth Crossno, forcing mainstream media attention.
Trump and political upheaval
President Donald Trump announced a ban on transgender military service via Twitter in 2017, bypassing internal defence channels. This transitioned Twitter from a platform where politics was reported to where politics happened. J.K. Rowling's 2020 tweet criticizing the phrase 'people who menstruate' sparked widespread controversy and highlighted Twitter's role in cultural wars.
After Trump incited the January 6 Capitol riot, Twitter permanently banned him on January 8, 2021, realizing the platform's potential for destruction.
The Musk era
Elon Musk acquired Twitter in 2022, tweeting that the platform must be 'politically neutral'. In 2023, he admitted to rigging the algorithm to boost his own posts after receiving fewer impressions than President Biden during the Super Bowl. In June 2026, Musk responded to outrage over a death with a single word tweet 'RAGE', which critics said leveraged tragedy for political gain.
Singer Sara Bareilles quit Twitter in 2022, tweeting 'Welp. It’s been fun Twitter. I’m out. Sorry, this one’s just not for me.' Her departure exemplifies the platform's changing nature under Musk's leadership.
