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.

2017 · ARCHIVE STORY

2017 · WhatsApp Forward Era

Distracted Boyfriend Meme

Peak Billions of impressions across platforms views

A Spanish stock photograph that became the most reused labelling template in internet history.

2017 · WhatsApp Forward Era

Despacito

Peak First video to reach 5 billion views views

A Spanish-language reggaeton track that became the first video in history to pass five billion views.