History of Twitter usage in Timeline

Launched on July 15, 2006, Twitter has become a platform with widespread applications across political, economic, social, and cultural domains. Its core function involves users sharing brief messages ('tweets'), fostering engagement through responses, online discussions, and real-world activities. User engagement on Twitter, often quantified by metrics such as likes, replies, and retweets, represents a form of influence and social capital within the platform's ecosystem.

July 15, 2006: Twitter Launch

On July 15, 2006, Twitter was launched, establishing a new service that would be used in political, economic, social and cultural environments. The service encourages users to engage in online discussions and offline activities, measuring user engagement through likes, replies, and retweets.

2006: Côte d'Ivoire Toxic Waste Dump Scandal

In 2006, the Côte d'Ivoire toxic waste dump scandal occurred, which became the subject of a reporting injunction obtained by Trafigura in October 2009 that was later exposed by Twitter users after The Guardian newspaper was banned from reporting on the parliamentary matter.

October 2007: Twitter Used During California Fires

During the October 2007 California fires, people used Twitter to inform followers (friends and neighbors) of their whereabouts and the location of various fires minute by minute.

April 10, 2008: Journalism student uses Twitter to report arrest in Egypt

On April 10, 2008, James Buck, a journalism student, was arrested in Egypt for photographing a protest. He used his mobile phone to tweet "Arrested" to his followers, who then contacted UC Berkeley, the U.S. Embassy, and press organizations. He was released the next day after the college hired a lawyer.

May 2008: Twitter Outperforms Traditional Media in Emergencies

Research reported in New Scientist in May 2008 found that blogs, maps, photo sites, and instant messaging systems like Twitter were more effective at disseminating information during emergencies compared to traditional news media and government emergency services.

October 14, 2008: CBC News Cites Tweets During Canadian Election Coverage

On October 14, 2008, during CBC News' television coverage of the Canadian federal election, tweets about Elizabeth May and Stéphane Dion were cited, along with a graph of mentions on Twitter, as evidence of calls for Dion to step down.

October 2008: U.S. Army intelligence report identifies Twitter as a "potential terrorist tool"

In October 2008, a draft U.S. Army intelligence report identified Twitter as a "potential terrorist tool," noting its use by some to post and support extremist ideologies.

December 10, 2008: Alain Ochoa conducts Twitterview with Bertalan Meskó

On December 10, 2008, Alain Ochoa at Diariomedico.com conducted a Twitterview with blogger Bertalan Meskó, which was later translated to Spanish.

December 30, 2008: Israel to hold press conference on Twitter

On December 30, 2008, David Saranga of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Israel would be the first government to hold a worldwide press conference via Twitter to answer public questions about the war against Hamas in Gaza.

2008: Use of Twitter in Mumbai Attacks

During the 2008 Mumbai attacks, eyewitnesses sent an estimated 16 tweets every second. Twitter users compiled lists of the dead and injured, and vital information like emergency phone numbers and locations of hospitals needing blood donations. CNN called it "the day that social media appeared to come of age".

2008: Twitter Used in U.S. Presidential Campaign

During the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign, candidates used Twitter. Barack Obama used it for publicity, and the Nader–Gonzalez campaign updated its ballot access teams in real time using Twitter and Google Maps. Overall Twitter use increased by 43% on election day.

January 2009: US Airways Flight 1549 Hudson River Landing

In January 2009, after US Airways Flight 1549 landed in the Hudson River, passenger Janis Krums posted a picture to Twitpic before any other media arrived. He subsequently won the Shorty Award for Real-Time Photo of the Year.

February 2009: NASA wins Shorty Award for Mars Phoenix Lander updates

In February 2009, NASA won a Shorty Award for its near real-time status updates in 2008 of the unmanned Mars Phoenix Lander mission.

February 2009: Use of Twitter During Australian Bushfires

In February 2009, during the Australian bushfires, the Victorian Country Fire Authority used Twitter to send regular alerts and updates. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd used his account to disseminate information on the fires, donations, and emergency help.

March 2009: George Stephanopoulos conducts Twitterview with Senator John McCain

In March 2009, ABC News Correspondent George Stephanopoulos conducted a Twitterview with Senator John McCain.

April 7, 2009: Twitter used during protests in Moldova

On April 7, 2009, students in Chișinău, Moldova, protested electoral fraud, using Twitter to disseminate information and mobilize support with the hashtag "#pman".

April 2009: Public Health Departments Provide H1N1 Updates

In April 2009, public health departments used Twitter to provide updates on H1N1 cases.

April 2009: First Criminal Prosecution Arising From Twitter Posts

In April 2009, the first criminal prosecution arising from Twitter posts began when the FBI arrested Daniel Knight Hayden, who was accused of sending threatening tweets related to his plan to attend a Tea Party protest in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

May 2009: German Bundestag Members Leak Election Result

During the 13th Federal Assembly in May 2009, two members of the German Bundestag leaked the result of the German presidential election via Twitter before the official announcement that Horst Köhler had won.

May 2009: Astronaut uses Twitter during Hubble Space Telescope repair mission

In May 2009, astronaut Mike Massimino used Twitter to send updates during the Hubble Space Telescope repair mission (STS-125), marking the first time Twitter was used by an astronaut in space.

June 15, 2009: Twitter Reschedules Maintenance Outage

On June 15, 2009, Twitter rescheduled a planned 90-minute maintenance outage due to concerns from users and the U.S. State Department about the service's role as a communication medium for protesters in Iran. CNN's coverage was criticized with the hashtag "#CNNfail". Twitter was also used to organize DDoS attacks against Iranian government websites.

June 2009: Twitter Used as Rallying Tool in Iran

In June 2009, following allegations of fraud in the Iranian presidential election, protesters used Twitter as a rallying tool and communication method with the outside world after the government blocked other modes of communication.

July 2009: Horizon Realty Group Sues Amanda Bonnen for Libel

In July 2009, Horizon Realty Group sued Amanda Bonnen for libel because of a tweet she posted criticizing the moldy conditions of her apartment. Horizon sought at least $50,000 in damages. The lawsuit garnered widespread attention from journalists, bloggers, and legal experts.

July 21, 2009: NASA holds tweetup at headquarters

On July 21, 2009, NASA held a post-mission tweetup at its headquarters in Washington, D.C., attended by about 200 members of the public, where the crew of STS-125 answered questions.

August 2009: #welovetheNHS Twitter Campaign

In August 2009, when American opponents of President Barack Obama's health insurance reform attacked the British National Health Service, thousands of NHS users participated in a Twitter campaign supporting the NHS with the hashtag "#welovetheNHS", initiated by Irish comedy writer Graham Linehan.

October 2009: Ujjal Dosanjh Apologizes for Tweeting

In October 2009, Member of Parliament Ujjal Dosanjh apologized on the floor of the House of Commons of Canada for improperly "tweeting about matters that ought not to have been tweeted about" during in camera proceedings of a parliamentary committee.

October 2009: Andrea Reimer Tweets About Rich Coleman's Weight

In October 2009, Vancouver Councilor Andrea Reimer tweeted about British Columbia Minister Rich Coleman's weight, suggesting police take him to Jenny Craig. Coleman called the comment amateurish, and Reimer later apologized.

October 2009: Twitter Users Expose Trafigura Injunction

In October 2009, after The Guardian was served with an injunction banning reporting on a parliamentary matter, Twitter users provided details that the press couldn't print, revealing that the injunction was taken out by Carter-Ruck on behalf of Trafigura, concerning the 2006 Côte d'Ivoire toxic waste dump scandal. The injunction was withdrawn the next day.

October 21, 2009: First tweetup from the International Space Station

On October 21, 2009, Nicole Stott and her Expedition 21 crewmate Jeff Williams participated in the first tweetup from the International Space Station with about 35 members of the public at NASA headquarters. This involved the first live Twitter connection for the astronauts.

November 2009: NASA's tweetup during a Shuttle launch

In November 2009, the launch of STS-129 marked NASA's fifth tweetup, and its first such event ever held during a Shuttle launch at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The "#nasatweetup" hashtag reached #3 on Twitter's Trending Topics.

December 2009: Brazil's Supreme Court Uses Twitter

In December 2009, the Supreme Federal Court of Brazil became the first court to display items on ministers' day planners and inform of important decisions via Twitter.

December 2009: Internet-Ukraine Launches Twitter-Based Election Monitoring Project

In late December 2009, Internet-Ukraine, a non-profit organization, launched a project to monitor the 2010 Ukrainian presidential election using Twitter.

2009: Vision Racing uses Twitter to post race reports; tweetups organized

In 2009, IndyCar Series team Vision Racing began using a Twitter account to post reports throughout race weekends. Also, teams, track owners and fans started to organize tweetups.

2009: 12for12K tweet-a-thon combines social media and fundraising

In 2009, Scott Stratten and Danny Brown started the 12for12K tweet-a-thon, using social media to raise funds for charity. The goal was to raise $12,000 within twelve hours for a different charity each month. In one event for Share Our Strength, they raised $15,500, and the 12for12K.org website saw a significant increase in traffic and followers.

2009: Twitter becomes a business promotional tool

In 2009, Twitter increasingly became used as a business promotional tool, encouraged by "Twitter 101." Dell reported $9 million in sales directly through Twitter and Facebook combined. Smaller businesses benefited by competing on equal terms with larger businesses on Twitter. A UK survey indicated that 17% of small British businesses were using Twitter to attract new customers.

2009: Elliott Madison's Arrest During G-20 Protests

In 2009, activist Elliott Madison used Twitter to message an order to disperse from Pittsburgh police during the G-20 Pittsburgh protests. Police raided Madison's hotel room and New York home, leading to charges of hindering apprehension, criminal use of a communication facility, and possession of instruments of crime. The FBI collected various items, including a Curious George stuffed animal.

2009: Higher Education Faculty Begin Using Twitter

In 2009, higher education faculty started using Twitter to establish social presence and for just-in-time interaction with students outside of learning management systems.

2009: Connecticut Republicans' Fake Twitter Accounts

In 2009, the Republican Party in Connecticut created 33 fake Twitter accounts in the names of Democratic Party members of the state legislature and used them to send out tweets. Twitter shut down the accounts, citing company policy, and The Hartford Courant criticized the Republicans' ethics.

January 2010: Bonnen's Motion to Dismiss Granted

In January 2010, Cook County Circuit Court Judge Diane J. Larsen granted Amanda Bonnen's motion to dismiss the libel lawsuit filed by Horizon Realty Group. The judge ruled that Bonnen's statement was "too vague" to constitute defamation.

April 13, 2010: Twitter starts showing advertising to users

On April 13, 2010, Twitter began showing advertising to users, marking the company's first major effort to monetize its microblogging service.

April 2010: Jon Scheyer's Twitter prank after Duke basketball win

In April 2010, after his team won the NCAA basketball championship, Duke basketball player Jon Scheyer played a prank, tweeting a fake phone number to his followers, which belonged to his former high school teammate Zach Kelly, causing Kelly to receive over 2,000 texts and several hundred calls.

April 22, 2010: #nickcleggsfault hashtag trends globally

On April 22, 2010, during the UK general election, Twitter users created the hashtag '#nickcleggsfault' to ironically blame Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg for everything. This followed right-wing newspapers reporting on donations to his bank account and was seen as a personal attack before a TV debate. By midday on April 22, the hashtag became the second-most tweeted globally and the most tweeted in the UK.

April 26, 2010: Q&A Shows Tweets on Screen

Starting April 26, 2010, the Australian television program Q&A began displaying selected tweets on screen during its live broadcasts, using the hashtag "#qanda".

May 2010: NASA organizes a tweetup for STS-132 mission

In May 2010, NASA organized a tweetup for the STS-132 Space Shuttle Atlantis mission to the International Space Station.

June 2010: Onlineshoes.com and Saucony tweet-a-thon for childhood obesity

In June 2010, Onlineshoes.com and Saucony partnered to raise awareness and funds for childhood obesity through a tweet-a-thon. For every tweet, Onlineshoes.com donated a dollar to Saucony's "Run for Good" program, which provided grants to encourage active and healthy lifestyles for children.

June 2010: Amanda Bynes announces retirement via Twitter

In June 2010, actress Amanda Bynes announced her retirement via Twitter, tweeting "I don't love acting anymore so I've stopped doing it." A month later, she announced she had "unretired."

September 2010: Twitter used during Cheshire, Connecticut, home invasion murders trial

In September 2010, Twitter served as a key communication stream for the media inside a Connecticut courtroom during the Cheshire, Connecticut, home invasion murders trial.

October 2010: PhoneDog Sues Noah Kravitz

In October 2010, PhoneDog unsuccessfully sued Noah Kravitz, a former employee, for misusing trade secrets. The lawsuit, PhoneDog v. Kravitz, alleged that Kravitz misused the PhoneDog Twitter account after leaving the company to post tweets for a competitor.

2010: Most IndyCar drivers and teams have Twitter accounts

By 2010, most IndyCar drivers and teams had their own Twitter accounts.

2010: Barry O'Farrell Tweets Private Message Publicly

During the 2010 federal election campaign in Australia, New South Wales Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell publicly tweeted comments intended as a private message to a journalist, discussing the Liberal party's readiness for the election.

2010: Rumor spreads via Twitter that Justin Bieber had died

In 2010, a rumor spread via Twitter that Justin Bieber had died. The hashtag "#JustinBieber" remained a Trending Topic for many months.

2010: Haiti Earthquake Images Used Without Permission

In 2010, freelance photojournalist Daniel Morel's images related to the Haiti earthquake were used without his permission by Agence France-Presse and Getty Images, later leading to a $1.2 million compensation order in November 2013 for copyright violation.

2010: #charitytuesday used by UK non-profits.

In 2010, the UK non-profit sector used Twitter to update supporters and potential donors when user BigDaveSB used the hashtag "#charitytuesday". He won a Justgiving Award 2010 for innovative fundraising.

February 2011: Stephen Hayes trial allows electronic devices for text transmission

In February 2011, during the Stephen Hayes trial in Connecticut, Judge Jon C. Blue allowed electronic devices for text transmission since video cameras were not allowed. Hayes was convicted of the murders of Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her daughters.

April 2011: News organizations use Twitter during Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton

In April 2011, news organizations like ABC News, CNN, BBC, ITV, and BSkyB utilized Twitter during the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. ABC News' Tweet tracker, displaying total Tweets and Tweets per minute, was shown on screen.

September 21, 2011: Twitter introduces political advertising

On September 21, 2011, Twitter introduced a way for politicians to advertise on the site using "politically flavored" promoted tweets, marked with a purple icon. Candidates could also pay for Promoted Accounts and Promoted Trends. By September 2011, a significant number of U.S. politicians were using Twitter.

2011: TV operators and broadcasters use Twitter to encourage viewer involvement

In 2011, TV operators and broadcasters used Twitter to engage viewers with on-screen hashtags, celebrity tweets, and contests. The 2011 Oscars generated over 1.8 million tweets, while the 2011 Super Bowl peaked at 4,000 tweets per second.

2011: Twitter's role in the Egyptian Revolution

In 2011, during the Egyptian Revolution, Twitter was used to share information and organize participants, although it was temporarily blocked by mobile operators. After the revolution, Egyptian officials and the U.S. Department of State used Twitter to communicate with the public.

2011: Sportspeople, teams, promoters and sponsors use Twitter to communicate with fans

In 2011, sportspeople, teams, promoters and sponsors used Twitter to communicate directly with fans, allowing athletes to reply to comments and share their daily lives. Some team mascots like Butler Blue and Pork Chop even had their own Twitter accounts.

2011: @RealTimeWWII Educational Account Launch

In 2011, the educational Twitter account @RealTimeWWII began tweeting daily events of World War II, continuing until 2017.

February 2012: Hamza Kashgari Controversy

In February 2012, Saudi poet Hamza Kashgari faced religious and legal controversy after being accused of insulting the prophet Mohammad in three tweets. Kashgari risked the death penalty and was arrested after King Abdullah ordered his arrest. He was deported back to Saudi Arabia from Kuala Lumpur on February 12.

December 2012: Green MP tables a tweet during New Zealand parliament's question time

In December 2012, Russel Norman, a Green MP, tabled a tweet during New Zealand's parliament question time, marking a first for the country.

2012: Obama's election reaction released on Twitter

In 2012, after news agencies declared Barack Obama the winner of the U.S. Presidential election, his initial reaction was released on Twitter. A tweet of Obama hugging his wife became the most re-tweeted tweet in Twitter history at the time, and the election became one of the most tweeted political events.

2012: Brad Keselowski tweets during Daytona 500 race, gains followers

In 2012, during the Daytona 500 NASCAR Cup Series race, Brad Keselowski tweeted while driving behind the pace car, posting a picture of a burning jet dryer truck. He tripled his Twitter followers, growing from 60,000 to 200,000, in a few days after the race.

January 2013: Mark Cuban fined for criticizing NBA officiating on Twitter

In January 2013, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was fined $50,000 by the NBA for tweeting criticisms of the league's officiating.

April 2013: Associated Press' Twitter account hacked, false report of Obama injury causes stock market crash

In April 2013, the Associated Press' Twitter account was briefly hacked, leading to a false message that U.S. president Barack Obama had been injured in an attack on the White House. This incident caused stocks to lose $134 billion in value almost instantly, before recovering once the report was determined to be false.

November 2013: AFP and Getty Images Ordered to Pay Daniel Morel

In November 2013, Agence France-Presse and Getty Images were ordered to pay $1.2 million in compensation to freelance photojournalist Daniel Morel for using his images posted on Twitter related to the 2010 Haiti earthquake without permission, violating copyright and Twitter's terms of service.

2013: @feministhulk account addresses funding problems during government shutdown

In 2013, the @feministhulk Twitter account raised awareness about funding issues for WIC food and nutrition programs during the US government shutdown. The account owner created a directory to help women in need find food banks and infant formula.

2013: Robots begin autonomously tweeting data and updates

In 2013, while some robots like NASA's Robonaut were tweeting via human operators, other projects developed robots to autonomously tweet. The Japanese Astrobot was expected to monitor crew health and tweet photos, while the MARC 5.0 robot at UMass Amherst tweeted when personnel came near. The SAUV tweeted water-quality data from the ocean.

2014: Study on nonprofit use of Twitter in PR campaigns published

In 2014, Doctors Chao Guo and Gregory D. Saxton's study, "Tweeting Social Change: How Social Media Are Changing Nonprofit Advocacy," supported earlier studies on how nonprofit organizations use Twitter in their public relations campaigns. The study found informational messages were the most frequent.

2014: Twitter Used in Balkan Floods

In 2014, Twitter was extensively used during the Balkan floods, and its efficiency and speed were considered "very useful" for exchanging information about flood victims and missing persons.

2015: Twitter identified as a gateway for Islamic terrorism recruitment

In 2015, Mark Wallace, CEO of the "Counter Extremism Project," stated that Twitter was a "gateway drug" for recruiting fighters for Islamic terrorism during a panel in Brussels.

January 2017: Yahoo Finance's image repair on Twitter after misspelling incident

In January 2017, Yahoo Finance had to repair its image on Twitter after accidentally misspelling "bigger" in a tweet, causing an offensive word to appear. The tweet was deleted after an hour, and Yahoo Finance apologized, but much of the image repair occurred through humorous memes shared by users on Black Twitter.

2017: @RealTimeWWII Ends

In 2017, the educational Twitter account @RealTimeWWII, which began in 2011, concluded its daily tweets of World War II events.

2018: Study on use of social media platforms for image repair published

In 2018, Mia Moody-Ramirez and Hazel Cole explored the use of Twitter to repair the image of Yahoo Finance when the online publication misspelled bigger with an "n," in January 2017, in a Twitter link to a story on President-elect Donald Trump's plans to enlarge America's navy. The tweet containing 'nigger' gained more than 1,000 retweets before Yahoo Finance deleted it, almost one hour after it was shared (Mezzofiore, 2017). Yahoo Finance published an apology shortly after, saying it was a "mistake." Black Twitter provided comic relief for an otherwise stressful situation.