YouTube's 10th birthday: Viral video's greatest hits

The first video posted on YouTube was uploaded on Saturday April 23, 2005,by the site's cofounder Jawed Karim under the user name "jawed."

In one of the most mundane YouTube posts you have probably ever seen, he refers to the length of the trunks of the elephants behind him at the San Diego Zoo in a clip titledMe at the Zoo.

Thursday marked the10th anniversary of that historicpost, and the video received somerenewed love aswell-wishers dropped by to say Happy Birthday. While there's no word on what the elephants are doing these days, YouTube has gonemainstream in the intervening decade.Here are some of the most-watched viral videos onYouTubeyear by year:

Mutant Giant Spider Dog (2014)

YouTube user SA Wardega topped the most-watched on YouTubelast year. In it, a Polish prankster dresses his dog up as a giant tarantula and scares unsuspecting people YouTubegold. Last year's top viral videos also included the Toronto-made iPhone 6 Plus 'bendgate' video.

• iPhone 6 Plus 'bendgate' video makes YouTube's most-watched list

What Does the Fox Say?(2013)

The top viral videos of 2013 wereThe Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)by Norweigian duoYlvisandHarlem Shake (original army edition),one of theHarlem Shake videos that was a major internet meme that year.

GangnamStyle (2012)

Psy's best known song, Gangnam Style,holds the most-watched-ever title. It currently has over 2.3 billion viewsand contains plenty of horse dancing.

GangnamStylealso took the top prize for 2012. Amongthe other most-viewed that year,5-member Canadian band Walk off the Earth playedGotye'sSomebody that I used to Knowon one guitar and a brave soul pulled off asupersonicfreefallfrom 128 km above the earth.

Friday(2011)

The most-viewed video of 2011 was Friday by Rebecca Black, a completely forgettable song about, you guessed it, Friday.That year YouTube was redeemed by the talking twin babiestwo diaper clad siblings gabbing at each other like a couple of old men egging each other on.

'Hide your kids' (2010)

Remember Antoine Dodson? An angry rant about an attack on his sister made the young Alabama man famous after it was turned into an auto-tuned song that made 2010 a special year for YouTube legends.

It was also the year of the double rainbow - User Yosemitebear's "full-on double rainbow across the sky." The video of the two rainbows, which he filmed while crying and asking, "What does this mean?" was tweeted by Jimmy Kimmel and legitimately went viral. The man behind the video, Paul Vasquez, later appeared in a segment on Tosh.0.

2009

The top viral YouTube video of 2009 was Britain's Got Talent darling Susan Boyle auditioning with a rendition of I Dreamed a Dream.It also featured the YouTube classic Jill and Kevin's Big Day, which was recreated during Jim and Pam's wedding onThe Office,and viral kingpin David After Dentist.

2008

In 2008, Bill O'Reillyflips out and "does it live,"Drunk Historyisborn, and Tom Cruise opens up aboutScientology, rather nonsensically.

2007

Who can forget 2007's Charlie Bit Me, the grandaddy of viral videos that was formerly the most viewed YouTube video.

2007 & 2006

Chris Cocker's 2007 Leave Britney Alone video made him an internet star, asBattle at Krugerdidfor a herd of buffalo, a pride of lions and a pair of crocodiles in South Africa. Evolution of Dance was a top contender in 2006 along withLonelygirl15.