Twitter is one of the most famous and frequently visited websites on the internet. It has become a popular social media platform worldwide used by everyday people and celebrities alike. But how much do you know about the former blue bird? Here are 10 fun facts about Twitter!
1. The platform was founded all the way back in 2006.
Although we tend to think of Twitter as still being a relatively modern platform, believe it or not, it actually started back in 2006! It was founded by Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams, Noah Glass, and Biz Stone on July 15th, 2006.
2. The @ symbol became an iconic Twitter staple.
Although the symbol @ has long been used in emails, Twitter made it something entirely different. Now, each person’s name on the platform starts with an @. You can also use symbols to reply to others by doing an @reply.
3. Twitter is now owned by Elon Musk – though it took a long time for the deal to go ahead!
Since October 2022, Twitter has been owned by Elon Musk. He reportedly bought the social media platform for around $ 44 billion. Since his arrival, many changes have been made to the platform, including the fact that you can now buy the famous verified blue tick.
Some of Musk’s changes have raised controversy, one being the decision to replace Twitter’s iconic blue bird with a white X on a black background. At the time of writing, there are no signs the bird will come back any time soon!
4. Twitter comes with its own language.
Twitter has indeed brought new words to the English language. For example, the word tweet is now used as both a noun and a verb. For example, you may see someone’s tweet, and you may have tweeted in response.
5. Tweets have a limited amount of characters.
Twitter initially used to have a 140-character limit. However, the limit has now been set to 280 characters and has been since 2017. This made it easier for businesses to market to customers and for public figures to go on longer rants!
6. Twitter’s owner has the most followers on the website.
Elon Musk is indeed the Twitter user with the most followers at the time of writing. He currently has over 154 million followers. However, both Lady Gaga and Stephen Fry have courted huge waves of Twitter followers over the years. So, of course, has ex-US President Donald Trump.
7. Twitter invented the hashtag!
In 2007, the concept of using hashtags was created by Chris Messina for Twitter. They are now used on other social media platforms, too, to guide users to specific topics. The hash symbol has been around much longer, of course, but Twitter revolutionized what’s since become an iconic social media staple.
8. The Twitter bird has a name!
The Twitter symbol, the bluebird, actually has a name! He goes by “Larry the Bird,” as he was named after the Boston Celtics icon Larry Bird. He was named by one of the co-founders, Biz Stone.
As mentioned, Larry seems to have flown the nest, having since been replaced by Elon Musk’s X. Will Larry be back? Who’s to say.
9. Twitter has hundreds of millions of active users.
As of the time of writing, Twitter has about 450 million monthly active users. And it is believed that the number will go well over 650 million users by 2028!
10. Twitter is a male-dominated platform.
Although anyone can use Twitter, it appears to appeal to men more than women. Nearly 70% of users are men, and just over 30% are women.
FAQs about Twitter X
What is Twitter known as now?
Twitter is now officially known as X Corp. X.com, now sends you straight to the Twitter website. The logo is now also an X on a black background. However, most people still call the website Twitter.
What is a Twitter Q&A?
Twitter commonly hosts Q&A sessions. They allow users to directly request questions from their followers and be able to answer them in real time.
Can you view private tweets?
Private tweets and personal accounts can only be seen by the followers of the account. However, the general appearance of the account can be seen by everyone.
Further reading
https://facts.uk/tag/Internet
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/29/a-brief-history-of-twitter-from-its-founding-in-2006-to-musk-takeover.html
https://www.lifewire.com/history-of-twitter-3288854
