When Twitter was born in 2006, it asked a simple question: “What are you doing?”
In November 2009, the prompt changed to “What’s happening?” The subtle difference paved the way for Twitter’s explosive growth and use as a real-time information network. The site has grown into a platform whereby people exchange links, share photos, break news and learn. No one cares if you’re eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich; we do care what article you’re reading, what products you’re playing with, and what you think about President Obama’s latest speech.
Unlike Facebook, Twitter enables us to engage with public figures, from bubble-gum pop singers to heads of state — they’re all on there. We thought it’d be fun to take a look back and see what celebrities first tweeted when they joined the site. Some got the hang of it, others poked fun at it, some were witty, and one didn’t even know “wtf i’m doing” (thanks, Snooki!).
Read on for some of our favorites.
The actor formerly known as "Doogie Howser" -- who's experienced a comeback of sorts on How I Met Your Mother -- joined Twitter with a comedic message that pokes fun at the 140-character limit.
Kutcher, who's acting career has taken a backseat to Nikon peddling and his interactive agency, Katalyst Media, is one of the early Twitter celebrities. Two years ago, Kutcher was in a race with CNN to be the first person to reach one million followers, which he did on April 16, 2009. This moment was an indication that Twitter had gone mainstream, and Kutcher went on Oprah that week to help Winfrey post her first tweet.But Kutcher had humble beginnings -- his first tweet merely expressed that he was sharing his first tweet.
Oprah came on board on April 17, 2009, with the help of Ashton Kutcher and Twitter co-founder Evan Williams. Days later, it was announced that Winfrey's segment generated a 43% spike in traffic on the microblogging site.
Veteran actor Tom Hanks made a charming entry with his first tweet on January 11, 2010 -- the classic mic joke.
Like much of her career, Britney Spears' first tweet on October 10, 2008, seems to have been handled by her management team. It's a straightforward welcome to Britney's Twitter world.
Obama joined Twitter two months after he announced his candidacy for the 2008 presidential election. Appropriately, his first tweet was optimistic and self-promotional, including a plug for his website.
Film critic Roger Ebert is one of the more insightful, poignant tweeters on the social platform, and he's been that way since he joined the network. His first tweet on October 4, 2009, was a touching comment on aging.
Funnyman Conan O'Brien first tweeted on February 24, 2010. It was in the aftermath of the NBC shakeup that booted the redhead from The Tonight Show and launched his fan-powered social media presence.
Sheen launched a #winning social media campaign by joining Twitter on March 1, 2010. He went on to garner a Guinness World Record for "Fastest Time to Reach One Million Followers" in just over 25 hours.
The beauty of Twitter is that it enables us to communicate with celebrities, politicians and even royalty. Queen Rania joined Twitter on May 7, 2009. Since then, she has explored Twitter as a diplomatic tool, even posting a Twitvid to promote tourism in Jordan.
NASA launched a Twitter account to share news of space exploration, historical tidbits and shuttle updates. Its first tweet, on December 20, 2007, reminisced about the launch of Apollo 17.
Clarence House's first tweet came on November 15, 2010 -- just one day before the announcement that Prince William and Kate Middleton were engaged. It's almost like they knew word of the Royal Wedding would spread quickly on Twitter...
Lady Gaga loves her "little monsters," but her first tweet came before she knew of "The Fame" that would come her way. Gaga tweeted about rehearsing for a music video and performing at a party -- appropriate for the "What's happening?" prompt.
Twitter, of course, isn't just a tool for English speakers. Last year, a study found that just 50% of tweets are in English. Thus, it's no surprise that just as President Obama tweets, so too does Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. His first tweet, on April 28, 2010, reads: "Hey how's it going? I appeared like I said I would: at midnight. I'm off to Brazil. And very happy to work for Venezuela. We will be victorious!!"
The Jersey Shore's most famous guidette made a splash with her honest and oh-so-typical first tweet on April 3, 2009.
Zappos' CEO Tony Hsieh has himself become a brand, and though he peddles shoes, Zappos has become synonymous with impeccable customer service and "delivering happiness." Zappos first tweeted on March 8, 2008, during SXSW, although Hsieh's first tweet indicates confusion about how to follow.
New York Times tech reporter David Pogue first tweeted on October 19, 2007, dropping a line about heading to a tech expo in the morning.
Steve Martin's first tweet on September 11, 2010 proves that Twitter is a great platform for pithy punchlines.
Kesha of "Tik Tok" fame took her 'tude to Twitter on March 23, where her handle is @keshasuxx. Keeping her habits of odd characters and intentional misspellings of words, her first tweet makes little sense.
Tech honcho Bill Gates jumped on the bandwagon relatively early. On February 9, 2007, he suggested that Microsoft get in on the Twitter game, perhaps foreseeing the platform's rise to prominence.
Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey sent the very first tweet on March 21, 2006 - the first of many billions to come.
Though the Dalai Lama is known for peace, serenity and holiness, that didn't stop him from joining Twitter. His first tweet, on February 22, 2010, served as a modern day press release -- he announced an appearance and provided a link.
The domestic goddess Martha Stewart could barely contain her excitement about "using Twitter for the first time!" on February 20, 2009. It's reminiscent of the tone she used in Twitter's fifth birthday video.
Jello-peddling, sweater-sporting Bill Cosby changed "sweet" to "tweet" in his first 140-character update on July 7, 2009.
Billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson is known for being an outdoorsy thrillseeker, but his first tweet shows a softer side. On October 22, 2008, Branson tweeted about his children, Holly and Sam, and how they're "coping" as they sought to break the trans-Atlantic sailing record.
President Obama has his own Twitter account, and so too does his home. On May 1, 2009, the White House established that @whitehouse is the official feed of the presidential residence.
Twitter
It seems pretty meta, but Twitter tweets, too. On July 11, 2007 -- more than a year into Twitter's existence -- the company tweeted about working on mobile apps Hahlo and Pocket Tweets.
Zuckerberg joined the Twitterverse on February 12, 2009, but it seems like he's chosen his own social network over Twitter -- he hasn't tweeted since March 13, 2009.
Before Bieber Fever infected the Twitterverse, the teen idol used Twitter to direct fans to his MySpace page. His first tweet, on May 12, 2009, was a promotion for his then-new single, "One Time."
In November 2009, the prompt changed to “What’s happening?” The subtle difference paved the way for Twitter’s explosive growth and use as a real-time information network. The site has grown into a platform whereby people exchange links, share photos, break news and learn. No one cares if you’re eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich; we do care what article you’re reading, what products you’re playing with, and what you think about President Obama’s latest speech.
Unlike Facebook, Twitter enables us to engage with public figures, from bubble-gum pop singers to heads of state — they’re all on there. We thought it’d be fun to take a look back and see what celebrities first tweeted when they joined the site. Some got the hang of it, others poked fun at it, some were witty, and one didn’t even know “wtf i’m doing” (thanks, Snooki!).
Read on for some of our favorites.
Neil Patrick Harris
The actor formerly known as "Doogie Howser" -- who's experienced a comeback of sorts on How I Met Your Mother -- joined Twitter with a comedic message that pokes fun at the 140-character limit.
Ashton Kutcher
Kutcher, who's acting career has taken a backseat to Nikon peddling and his interactive agency, Katalyst Media, is one of the early Twitter celebrities. Two years ago, Kutcher was in a race with CNN to be the first person to reach one million followers, which he did on April 16, 2009. This moment was an indication that Twitter had gone mainstream, and Kutcher went on Oprah that week to help Winfrey post her first tweet.But Kutcher had humble beginnings -- his first tweet merely expressed that he was sharing his first tweet.
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah came on board on April 17, 2009, with the help of Ashton Kutcher and Twitter co-founder Evan Williams. Days later, it was announced that Winfrey's segment generated a 43% spike in traffic on the microblogging site.
Tom Hanks
Veteran actor Tom Hanks made a charming entry with his first tweet on January 11, 2010 -- the classic mic joke.
Britney Spears
Like much of her career, Britney Spears' first tweet on October 10, 2008, seems to have been handled by her management team. It's a straightforward welcome to Britney's Twitter world.
Barack Obama
Obama joined Twitter two months after he announced his candidacy for the 2008 presidential election. Appropriately, his first tweet was optimistic and self-promotional, including a plug for his website.
Roger Ebert
Film critic Roger Ebert is one of the more insightful, poignant tweeters on the social platform, and he's been that way since he joined the network. His first tweet on October 4, 2009, was a touching comment on aging.
Conan O'Brien
Funnyman Conan O'Brien first tweeted on February 24, 2010. It was in the aftermath of the NBC shakeup that booted the redhead from The Tonight Show and launched his fan-powered social media presence.
Charlie Sheen
Sheen launched a #winning social media campaign by joining Twitter on March 1, 2010. He went on to garner a Guinness World Record for "Fastest Time to Reach One Million Followers" in just over 25 hours.
Queen Rania
The beauty of Twitter is that it enables us to communicate with celebrities, politicians and even royalty. Queen Rania joined Twitter on May 7, 2009. Since then, she has explored Twitter as a diplomatic tool, even posting a Twitvid to promote tourism in Jordan.
NASA
NASA launched a Twitter account to share news of space exploration, historical tidbits and shuttle updates. Its first tweet, on December 20, 2007, reminisced about the launch of Apollo 17.
Clarence House
Clarence House's first tweet came on November 15, 2010 -- just one day before the announcement that Prince William and Kate Middleton were engaged. It's almost like they knew word of the Royal Wedding would spread quickly on Twitter...
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga loves her "little monsters," but her first tweet came before she knew of "The Fame" that would come her way. Gaga tweeted about rehearsing for a music video and performing at a party -- appropriate for the "What's happening?" prompt.
Hugo Chavez
Twitter, of course, isn't just a tool for English speakers. Last year, a study found that just 50% of tweets are in English. Thus, it's no surprise that just as President Obama tweets, so too does Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. His first tweet, on April 28, 2010, reads: "Hey how's it going? I appeared like I said I would: at midnight. I'm off to Brazil. And very happy to work for Venezuela. We will be victorious!!"
Snooki
The Jersey Shore's most famous guidette made a splash with her honest and oh-so-typical first tweet on April 3, 2009.
Zappos
Zappos' CEO Tony Hsieh has himself become a brand, and though he peddles shoes, Zappos has become synonymous with impeccable customer service and "delivering happiness." Zappos first tweeted on March 8, 2008, during SXSW, although Hsieh's first tweet indicates confusion about how to follow.
David Pogue
New York Times tech reporter David Pogue first tweeted on October 19, 2007, dropping a line about heading to a tech expo in the morning.
Steve Martin
Steve Martin's first tweet on September 11, 2010 proves that Twitter is a great platform for pithy punchlines.
Kesha
Kesha of "Tik Tok" fame took her 'tude to Twitter on March 23, where her handle is @keshasuxx. Keeping her habits of odd characters and intentional misspellings of words, her first tweet makes little sense.
Bill Gates
Tech honcho Bill Gates jumped on the bandwagon relatively early. On February 9, 2007, he suggested that Microsoft get in on the Twitter game, perhaps foreseeing the platform's rise to prominence.
Jack Dorsey
Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey sent the very first tweet on March 21, 2006 - the first of many billions to come.
Dalai Lama
Though the Dalai Lama is known for peace, serenity and holiness, that didn't stop him from joining Twitter. His first tweet, on February 22, 2010, served as a modern day press release -- he announced an appearance and provided a link.
Martha Stewart
The domestic goddess Martha Stewart could barely contain her excitement about "using Twitter for the first time!" on February 20, 2009. It's reminiscent of the tone she used in Twitter's fifth birthday video.
Bill Cosby
Jello-peddling, sweater-sporting Bill Cosby changed "sweet" to "tweet" in his first 140-character update on July 7, 2009.
Richard Branson
Billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson is known for being an outdoorsy thrillseeker, but his first tweet shows a softer side. On October 22, 2008, Branson tweeted about his children, Holly and Sam, and how they're "coping" as they sought to break the trans-Atlantic sailing record.
White House
President Obama has his own Twitter account, and so too does his home. On May 1, 2009, the White House established that @whitehouse is the official feed of the presidential residence.
It seems pretty meta, but Twitter tweets, too. On July 11, 2007 -- more than a year into Twitter's existence -- the company tweeted about working on mobile apps Hahlo and Pocket Tweets.
Mark Zuckerberg
Zuckerberg joined the Twitterverse on February 12, 2009, but it seems like he's chosen his own social network over Twitter -- he hasn't tweeted since March 13, 2009.
Justin Bieber
Before Bieber Fever infected the Twitterverse, the teen idol used Twitter to direct fans to his MySpace page. His first tweet, on May 12, 2009, was a promotion for his then-new single, "One Time."
Sarah Silverman