Twitter turns 10

Sunday, 20 March 2016

On this date in 2006, the first Tweet went out:

On the tenth birthday of that initial test message, we want to celebrate you, the people of Twitter, for transforming what was envisioned as a simple messaging service into something far greater. You were with us as the hashtag, the Tweet, and trending became a part of our everyday lives. Simply put, your collective efforts on Twitter have changed how the world communicates by giving everyone a voice — and in the process, you’ve transformed entire industries.

As we reflect on our history, we wanted to take a closer look at some of the iconic Australian moments that have happened on the platform over the last 10 years.

The rise of #auspol
Since its first use in 2010, #auspol has grown into Australia’s most popular hashtag. The rise in popularity of the hashtag has been the hub of Australian political conversation and has also spawned other hashtags for big moments in Australian politics such as #ausvotes, #LibSpill and #PutOutYourOnions.

Live Tweeting on @QandA
Current affairs program @QandA transformed social television when it first started broadcasting on-air Tweets using #QandA in 2010. The panel shows has now integrated Twitter into its weekly program, asking viewers to Tweet comments and submit questions for panellists using #QandA, as well as a real-time Twitter word cloud visible on screen during the live broadcast.

International success of @5SOS
Australian band 5 Seconds of Summer (@5SOS) has taken Twitter and the world by storm as it has experienced international success. Australia’s Golden Tweet of 2015 (the most-Retweeted Tweet from an Australian) was by Michael Clifford (@Michael5SOS) when he Tweeted a photo of his bandaged face after walking into a pyrotechnics display during a @5SOS gig in London.

Queensland ravaged by #qldfloods
In 2011, Queensland was ravaged by some of the worst flooding in recent history. The floods forced the evacuation of thousands of people from towns and cities with at least 90 towns and more than 200,000 people affected. Queensland Premier, Anna Bligh, received global praise for her emotional ‘We are Queenslanders’ speech during a media briefing on the #qldfloods. US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also offered assistance with the recovery effort.

Dami Im wins @thexfactor_au
Dami Im’s (@damiandmusic) win on the fifth season of @thexfactor_au was the most-Tweeted moment in Australia for 2013. The “X Factor Australia” has launched the careers of several Australian music artists including Reece Mastin (@reecemastin), Samantha Jade (@sjademusic), and Cryrus Villanueva (@cyrusvill).

Community comes together following Sydney siege #illridewithyou
Twitter user Sir Tessa (@sirtessa) launched #illridewithyou, as a demonstration of community solidarity of Australians taking a stand against anti-Muslim sentiment in the wake of the #sydneysiege in Martin Place.

Phil Hughes remembered #putoutyourbats
A touching tribute to fallen cricketer Phil Hughes from Australian Paul Taylor (@Squizzabilly) spreads globally on Twitter using as fans put out their cricket bats to honour his memory with #putoutyourbats.

NSW wins #Origin
NSW wins the National Rugby League (@NRL) State of #Origin for the first time in eight years, making it the first time in history that NSW fans can Tweet in victory.

Australia wins #CWC15
Australia hosts the 2015 Cricket World Cup and the Australian cricket team defeats New Zealand in the final. Cricket fans around the world take to Twitter to celebrate their teams using #CWC15.

Peter Greste returns home #FreeAJStaff
After 400 days behind bars, Australian Al Jazeera journalist, Peter Greste (@PeterGreste), is deported from Egypt and flown to Cyprus and then home to Australia. Greste was sentenced to seven years in prison on charges of defaming Egypt and aiding banned Islamists.

To mark Twitter’s tenth birthday, we are also proud to announce that we are partnering with the National Museum of Australia (@NMA) to create a mobile interactive ‘booth’ that will explore history through a Twitter lens and examine how social media is both recording and shaping our national story.

The world-first history booth will sit in the Museum’s Canberra galleries and will provide creative ways in which visitors can ‘place’ themselves inside historical moments and Tweet on their Museum visit using GIFS, video, and photos.

The booth will also feature curated historical and recent Tweets from Australians relating to @NMA exhibits and showcase how Twitter is being used as a live connection to Australian culture that can be used as a primary source document for social historians. Follow @NMA and @TwitterAU for more details on when the booth will be unveiled.

“This collaboration builds our highly popular #AustraliaDay partnership with Twitter Australia and the National Australia Day Council in which the Museum is collating and storing — in perpetuity — Tweets that reflect the diverse ways in which the nation marks Australia Day.

“The latest partnership will provide new ways in which Museum visitors can use social media to think and talk about their past, present and future in a digital age when we are making history online almost every day.”

Dr Mathew TrincaNational Museum Director

Thank you for your part in making this such an incredible, world-changing decade for Twitter. Here’s to much more!