Historical Viral Video Archive

Fifteen landmark viral videos from 1998 to 2017, each with a full written history: when it went viral, what it peaked at, why South Africa loved it and where it stands in 2026. All embeds are official uploads only.

2014 · ARCHIVE STORY

2014 · Facebook and BBM Era

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

Peak 17 million videos, 440 million viewers views

The first viral challenge that raised serious money and led to an actual scientific discovery.