You and Twitter both arrived in 2006.
- Maker
- Jack Dorsey & co.
- Type
- Social / microblogging
- Debuted
- 2006
- Note
- Once 140 characters flat
As an Amazon Associate, OlderThan earns from qualifying purchases.
About
As of 2026, it's 20 years old.
Twitter launched in 2006 with one strange constraint: say whatever you want, but in 140 characters or fewer. The brevity was the whole point, turning thoughts into haiku and arguments into rapid-fire skirmishes.
It birthed the hashtag, the retweet, the viral moment, and the 3 a.m. take you immediately regret. In 2022 Elon Musk bought it for $44 billion and rebranded it X, retiring the beloved blue bird to the great timeline in the sky.
Twitter is the world's group chat, newswire, and comedy open-mic rolled into one endlessly scrolling feed: chaotic, addictive, and now flying under a different name.
Twitter through the years
Launch
First tweet posted by Jack Dorsey.
280 characters
Tweet limit doubles; haikus mourn.
Becomes X
Rebranded under Elon Musk's ownership.
