Before YouTube: The Internet's First Viral Videos That Shaped Digital Culture

• Jawed Karim's "Me at the zoo" (April 23, 2005) was YouTube's first video, uploaded by a co-creator, defining early internet video sharing.
• Casey Neistat's 2003 video "iPod's Dirty Secret" went viral pre-YouTube, criticizing Apple's irreplaceable iPod battery and gaining him overnight fame.
• Gary Brolsma's "Numa Numa Dance" (2004) became one of the internet's earliest massive viral hits, featuring him lip-syncing O-Zone's "Dragostea din tei."
• The "Numa Numa Dance" video, initially uploaded to Newgrounds, garnered millions of views and is considered a precursor to modern lip-syncing trends on platforms like TikTok.
• Brolsma continues to engage with his legacy, occasionally uploading "Numa Numa" recreation videos on his YouTube channel, showcasing enduring internet nostalgia.

Why It Matters: Early viral videos like "Numa Numa Dance" and "iPod's Dirty Secret" paved the way for modern internet video culture.