Viral Video Day - Lovers of trending clips can rejoice as Viral Video Day is here again! Follow and let us walk you through the evolution of viral videos.

Viral Video Day 2024 – April 29, 2024

Viral Video Day is celebrated every year on April 29 to marvel at the extent to which certain videos —mostly shorts — go around the world. From those that make us laugh, cry, and angry, to those that inspire, motivate, and inform us, viral videos have always been things of awe for viewers. Nonetheless, do you know that most videos that went viral had little chance of going so? Or that most videos created with the intent of turning viral get buried as quickly as they were birthed? Well, as surprising as that is, it is a reality!

History of Viral Video Day

The oldest known celebration of Viral Video Day is April 29, 2013. And even back then, it was as exciting a holiday as it is today! Perhaps, it is because viral videos have always shaken the climes they go viral in, so much that everyone not only watches it online but also talks about it offline. People can be greatly influenced by viral videos. In March 2022, a video of a young ‘supposed’ Ukrainian girl, confronting Russian soldiers went viral globally — inciting all sorts of reactions. It was later revealed the video was of a young Palestinian activist, bravely facing Israeli soldiers. Whichever it was, the whole world praised the ‘Ukrainian’ girl.Viral Video Day is not a government- or organization-approved holiday. It is a holiday created by someone who shouldn’t have had any say in the formation of holidays, but because of her uniqueness, she did, and people — particularly in the U.S. — rallied behind her to celebrate it. Jace Shoemaker-Galloway is a freelance writer who has penned thousands of articles covering all sorts of holidays that she started making some herself. Among the many ‘Shoemaker-Galloway-created holidays’ is Viral Video Day. Her popularity in the craft of holiday elaboration made even her self-created holidays popular.For close to a decade now, Viral Video Day is consistently observed yearly by rewatching and retelling the stories of the most viral videos of the past. One of the key markers of knowing April 29 is Viral Video Day is seeing past viral videos circulating once more on video streaming channels like “Vimeo” and “YouTube.” Over the years, some viral videos have become so popular that the number of times they have been watched is more than the number of the world population!

Viral Video Day timeline

1936
Oldest Shared Video Made

Reefer Madness," an educational film that later becomes the oldest shared video, is recorded.

1970s
Reefer Madness" Circulated

Film prints of the 1936 educational film are circulated by Keith Stroup around college film festivals.

1970
Controversial Viral Clip Recorded

A controversial clip about the disposal of a beached whale carcass by dynamite is documented.

1990s
Viral Videos Turned To GIFs

Some viral videos begin to be circulated as animated ‘GIFs.’

1995
The Spirit of Christmas " Surfaces

One of the two most successful viral videos of the early internet era surfaces.

2000
Home Star Runner" launched

The most famous self-hosted home of viral videos is created.

2015
“YouTube” Innovates Special Tab

YouTube introduces the 'trending' tab to notify users of viral videos using various algorithms.

Viral Video Day FAQs

What is the most viewed video of all time?

The “Baby Shark Dance” song video currently holds the record of the most viewed video in the world with more than 10 billion views! It is followed by the music video ‘Despacito’ with over seven billion views, and the nursery rhyme “Johnny Johnny Yes Papa” clip with over six billion views.

What's considered a viral video?

A viral video is usually viewed by hundreds and thousands of people in a very small time frame. Some viral videos become viral over a long period though. But both have one thing in common; they are vigorously shared on multiple video streaming websites and social media channels.

How do I go viral?

Well, there’s no established formula to ensure an individual goes viral. However, certain factors should be considered if people want their videos to go viral. These things include eliciting emotions, having exceptional new talents, telling people about it and imploring them to share, using proper sharing channels, and the like. Be warned however that even if your video has all those elements and more, you can never be sure if the video would go viral.

Viral Video Day Activities

  1. Record your own video

    Whether it is of you, your pet, or a random occurrence, make sure to tape it and upload it on the internet. You never know, it might go viral!

  2. Rewatch past viral videos

    Whatever you are looking for, laughter, entertainment, inspiration, or comfort, there is surely a past viral video for it. Search for and rewatch them.

  3. Share videos you think the world of

    Share that video you keep watching and rewatching on the internet. Who knows? You might just be tagged as the first person who shared a video that went viral!

5 Surprising Facts About Viral Videos

  1. Contains emotional triggers

    Emotional triggers such as laughter, adoration, grief, and astonishment are commonly found in viral videos.

  2. Videos intended to go viral rarely do

    Most videos created with the intent of going viral end up not doing so.

  3. Unintended videos sometimes go viral

    A large percentage of viral videos were mostly not intended to be so popular.

  4. Products and services videos don't go viral

    Videos of products and services usually don't go viral.

  5. Formulas don't apply

    There are no fixed formulas to make a video go viral.

Why We Love Viral Video Day

  1. It is full of fun

    Viral Video Day is always full of loads of fun. We crack our ribs, get entertained, and wow at the ingenuity of some video content.

  2. It makes us appreciate talent

    We get to watch and talk about individual talents that could hardly be revealed if the recorded clips haven't gone viral. We love talent!

  3. It makes some of us extraordinarily popular

    Imagine uploading your dance video on the internet just for the fun of it, only to go online hours later and realize half of your country is amazed by your dancing skills. Exhilarating right?

Viral Video Day dates

Year Date Day
2023 April 29 Saturday
2024 April 29 Monday
2025 April 29 Tuesday
2026 April 29 Wednesday
2027 April 29 Thursday