History of LOL in Timeline

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LOL

LOL is an internet slang initialism that stands for "laughing out loud." Originating on Usenet, it's now common in various forms of online and offline communication. It expresses amusement, irony, or hidden meaning. LOL is part of a broader set of initialisms used to convey physical reactions in text, especially laughter, with variations like LMAO and ROFL indicating more intense amusement.

May 8, 1989: Earliest Recorded Use of LOL

On May 8, 1989, the earliest recorded mention of LOL in the contemporary meaning of "Laughing Out Loud" was made in a list of common online acronyms in the electronic newsletter FidoNews, according to the Oxford English Dictionary and linguist Ben Zimmer.

March 2011: LOL Listed in Oxford English Dictionary

In March 2011, the Oxford English Dictionary first listed LOL.

March 24, 2011: LOL Formally Recognized in Oxford English Dictionary

On March 24, 2011, LOL, along with other acronyms, was formally recognized in an update of the Oxford English Dictionary. The research determined that the earliest recorded use of LOL as an initialism was for "little old lady" in the 1960s.