Discovering your #FirstTweet

In 2006, people began to say a little something on Twitter through 140-character bursts of plain text, starting with this message from @jack:

Eight years later, you have transformed the platform into a place to discover new ideas, connect with other people, and express yourselves. And to mark our eighth birthday tomorrow, we’re excited to share a brand new tool, first-tweets.com.

Since 2006, millions of prolific tweeters across the UK and beyond have made Twitter an exciting, fun and powerful place to connect with others. More than 500 million Tweets are now being sent every day and more than 240 million of you are active on Twitter across the globe.

But everyone has to start somewhere, and today we’re taking a look at some choice first Tweets. It’s a selection of messages that have sparked conversations, told great stories, showed something new, or simply made someone smile.

#FirstTweet

And we’re pleased to welcome three new voices to the platform. National treasure 97-year-old Dame Vera Lynn (@VeraLynnDecca) welcomed her followers with a selfie for her #FirstTweet, joining TV star Tess Daly (@TessDaly) and rock legend Chrissie Hynde (@ChrissieHynde) who also signed up today:

We’re also giving you the chance to discover the #FirstTweet that started your own Twitter journey — be it a selfie photo, a philosophical quote, a link, a reply, retweet or just a few words.

What was your #FirstTweet? Take a trip down memory lane with first-tweets.com

 Using this tool, you can look back to find your very first Tweet — or for that matter, anyone else’s. Just type in the @username, be it yours or your best pal, favourite comedian, footballer or TV idol. It’s easy to get searching.

David Levin (@davidlevin123) has carved a career for himself as a professional tweeter for TV shows and companies across the UK, gave his thoughts on getting started with Twitter:

“At first I was afraid; I was petrified. Why would anyone care what I have to say? What if I’ve only got two followers and one of them is my dad? What if I get in an argument with Piers Morgan? But still, I did it. I tweeted. I sent my first tweet. And like David Cameron, Jeremy Clarkson, Fearne Cotton and almost everybody except Stephen Fry - my first tweet didn’t exactly set the world alight.

“But with time, they became less rubbish. And now, as someone who tweets for a living, looking back at my first tweet is looking at a moment that my life changed. Like my first day at school, but with more wine and crying.”

So, celebrate with us by heading over to first-tweets.com. And if you haven’t sent yours yet, there’s never been an easier time to get started. Download the app or head to Twitter.com and sign up today to send your very own #FirstTweet!