If there was any doubt about the cultural significance of memes, the expansion of the online NFT market has ended that doubt. NFT stands for non-fungible tokens, a non-interchangeable unit of data stored on the blockchain. Due to their uniqueness, NFTs can be sold as if they were pieces of art.

The first known NFT was created in May 2014 and sold at an NYC conference. In June 2021, 'Doge' became the world's most-expensive meme NFT, selling for $4 million! Yes, the meme gold rush is here! Learning about the fascinating origin of the world's best-known memes is a good way not to miss all of the action.

Doge - Started as a Picture of a Rescue Dog

The silly Doge meme became so popular that it gave way to Dogecoin, a satirical virtual coin that was at one point worth $400 million! But the picture that started it all was but a loving snap of a rescued Shiba Inu called Kabosu. Kabosu was one of 19 abandoned puppies, adopted by a Japanese schoolteacher named Atsuko Sato in 2008.

In February 2010, Sato decided to upload some pictures of Kabosu to his blog. Kabosu was so cute and boasted such a funny expression that it didn't take long before his adorable snout was being Photoshopped all over the Internet. And that's how the Doge meme was born!

Slender Man - Started as a Character Submitted to a Contest on a Message Board Website

Of all the memes born out of message boards, Slender Man is arguably the most popular. Every culture has its form of "boogeyman," and Slender Man is Internet's own monster. This bizarre, woods-walking creature was born when a man called Eric Knudsen submitted its design and origin story to a "Create paranormal images" contest on the website SomethingAwful.

In the meantime, Slender Man became so big that it gave way to a 2018 horror movie titled "Slender Man." On a darker note, it also inspired two 12-year-old girls to stab one of their friends in a bizarre 2014 Wisconsin police case.

Overly Attached Girlfriend - Started as a Parody of Justin Bieber's "Boyfriend"

The YouTuber Laina Morris was just 20 years old when she decided to upload a video mocking Justin Bieber's hit song "Boyfriend." The song was just like the original but told through the perspective of an obsessive, stalking girlfriend. Morris expected the video to make some people laugh, but she never could've imagined it would give way to such a massive Internet phenomenon.

Morris's satire turned against her, and her face ended up on every message board, Facebook feed, and Reddit thread. She lives an everyday life now and still makes videos, but she will never be able to escape the fact that she's the Internet's own "overly attached girlfriend."

Clock Spider - Started as a Picture of a Spider Uploaded to a Message Board

For yet another message-board-originated meme, we need to go back in time to 2003, which is like pre-history in Internet years. It was then a netizen known as 'kenratboy' decided to upload three pictures of a spider to the Klipsch.com community forum. They showed a huge spider crawling behind a clock and caused an instant visceral reaction in every arachnophobe who happened to stumble upon them.

The images were so awe-inspiring that they ended up becoming a meme known as Clock Spider. The first image—displayed above—is particularly terrifying because it hints at the size of the arachnid by scaling it against a regular household clock.

Disaster Girl - Started as a Training Exercise for Firemen

'Disaster Girl' has got to be one of the most powerful images on the web. Something is striking about seeing a little girl smiling cheekily to the camera while a house burns. But if you think this child is the embodiment of the devil, you'll probably be disappointed to find out the fire in the picture was but a training exercise for local firefighters.

Zoe Roth (the girl in the picture) and her family lived near a fire station and got the opportunity to watch this fire drill in 2005. Years later, Zoe's father submitted this photo to a JPG magazine 'Emotion Capture' contest. The rest, as they say, is history.

All Your Base Are Belong To Us - Started on the Same Message Board That Gave Us Slender Man

"Zero Wing" is an early '90s Japanese videogame for the Sega Mega Drive console. The game itself would be relatively forgettable if it weren't for the fact it was very poorly translated into English. The videogame had so many misspelled quotes that ended up becoming the laughing stock in SomethingAwful, the same message board website that gave us Slender Man.

While the horrible sentence 'All Your Base Are Belong To Us' is by far the most famous, many "Zero Wing" typos made the rounds all over the web, including the utterly funny 'You Have No Chance To Survive Make Your Time' and 'Somebody Set Up Us The Bomb.'

Ridiculously Photogenic Guy - Started as a Picture Posted to Reddit

The 2012 Cooper River Bridge Run will go down in history, but only because of a man called Zeddie Little. Little looked so impossibly good while running that every netizen took notice. And before he knew it, this picture (innocently posted on Reddit by a computer programmer called Will King) gave way to the 'Ridiculously Photogenic Guy' meme.

Little ended the race in an unimpressive 242nd place. But in the end, he came out as the undisputed champion. To this day, he still credits his photogenic looks to lucky timing, but he's not fooling anyone—this guy's got to know how to strike a pose!

Success Kid - Started as a Great Baby Pic, Ended Up Becoming a Life-Saving Snap

'Success Kid' is the go-to meme to share happy stories and lucky breaks with your social media friends and fellow netizens. The meme's origin per se is relatively simple: it's just a photo of an 11-month-old baby from Florida called Sammy Griner. However, the inspiring outcome of its success is worth noting.

In 2015, Sammy's father, Justin Griner, lived through six years of kidney failure and desperately needed a new organ. It was then the 'Success Kid' meme came to the rescue! Thanks to its popularity, Griner and his family managed to collect $100K on a GoFundMe campaign and pay for a kidney replacement surgery.

Distracted Boyfriend - Started as a Stock Photo

If you have ever browsed through a stock-photo catalog looking for that perfect royalty-free snap, you have probably encountered one or two hilarious pictures. But out of all the millions of stock photos globally, none has become more popular than the memorable 'Distracted Boyfriend' meme.

The photo was taken by a Spanish photographer and was meant to evoke disloyalty, betrayal, and adultery. It ended up being shared all over the web as a way of representing those moments in which you crave something better than what you already have. It's human nature in a funny, overly simplistic nutshell!

Salt Bae - Started as a 36-Second Video

More than a meme, 'Salt Bae' is a worldwide celebrity and restauranteur. His real name is Nusret Gökçe, and he's a Turkish steakhouse owner who grew up in poverty but managed to create an international empire for himself. Publishing a viral 36-second video in 2017 only helped boost his success and turned him into an overnight sensation.

Now Gökçe keeps busy running his many restaurants and entertaining his famous guests by recreating his unmistakable salt-dropping skills. His food has found its way to the tummies of celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio, David Beckham, and Naomi Campbell.

Grumpy Cat - Started as a Picture Uploaded to Reddit

You know her as 'Grumpy Cat,' but her real name was Tardar Sauce. Before passing away in 2019, she became the world's most recognizable celebrity cat with over 8.3 million followers on social media. Tardar Sauce's first appearance was on Reddit, and she looked so grumpy that her image became an overnight symbol of dark humor, cynism, and, well, grumpiness!

Tardar Sauce lived in Arizona with her owner Tabatha Bundesen. Surprisingly enough, her unique looks are not caused by her natural moodiness but rather by a condition known as feline dwarfism. The original 'Grumpy Cat' picture was uploaded to Reddit in September 2012 by Bryan Bundesen, Tabatha's brother.

Harambe - Started as a Tragic Zoo Accident

In 2016, it was hard to find a netizen who wasn't outraged by the whole 'Harambe' fiasco. After all, the poor gorilla was shot dead when a toddler climbed onto his cage at the Cincinnati Zoo. Harambe's killing stirred many violent reactions online, with netizens finding it deeply unfair that the animal was put down for something he couldn't possibly be responsible for.

But out of the darkness came light. Harambe is no longer amongst us, but he became a powerful meme and Internet's own hero. If it wasn't for his tragic passing, Harambe probably could've cured cancer, solved global warming, prevented the pandemic, and saved the economy (allegedly).

Wentworth Miller's Weight Gain - Started as a The Lad Bible Post

Following the success of "Prison Break," the TV series main star Wentworth Miller decided to disappear from the spotlight, only to re-emerge looking a bit... different. The popular social media page Lad Bible chose to make the most of it by uploading a meme mocking Miller's weight gain. It was supposed to be a funny joke, but it ended up getting The Lad Bible into trouble.

The meme-sharing Facebook page removed the post and apologized to Miller after he came out and revealed he was battling depression and other mental health issues. The Lad Bible did the right thing by publishing a lengthy, apologetic statement.

Pepe The Frog - Started as a Comic Strip Character, But Then...

Irresistibly iconic, Pepe the Frog was a comic-strip character before it became a well-known meme. It was created around 2005 by artist Matt Furie and made the rounds on websites such as 4Chan before being appropriated by right-wing message board users.

Out of nowhere, Pepe the Frog's image was associated with extreme political views and seen as a symbol of the American alt-right movement. The character's unauthorized appropriation left its creator very sad, as Pepe was initially designed to be a feel-good type of character. Furie's struggle and Pepe the Frog's journey is documented in detail in the 2020 movie "Feels Good Man," making for an attention-grabbing, endearing watch.

Star Wars Kid - Started as a 2002 Viral Video

Nowadays, being a nerd is not only widely accepted but as mainstream as it gets. However, life wasn't always this easy for the bonafide nerds of the world, as stated by Ghislain Raza's lifelong struggle. He became an early-Internet celebrity when a video of his lightsaber moves made it to YouTube in 2002.

The video was not uploaded by Raza, who's for that reason, one of the very first high-profile victims of cyberbullying. Roughly a decade later, Raza talked to the press about how his school friends mocked him and how the whole thing resulted in a long, now-settled court case.

Kony 2012 - Started as a Short Documentary Film

Internet success is like a box of chocolates: you never know what you're going to get. The creator of the viral short documentary film "Kony 2012" wanted to raise awareness of the crimes of the Ugandan fugitive Joseph Kony and try to get him arrested. But it all turned awry.

The movie's creator, Jason Russell, got the attention of over 80 million viewers and received millions in donations that turned into nothing. It was then he was scrutinized by the media and violently criticized online. Unable to deal with the hate, Russell ended up suffering a well-publicized meltdown in 2012 and was hospitalized for several weeks.

Dog Poop Girl - Started as an Online Complaint, Escalated Into a Worldwide Witch Hunt

The Dog Poop Girl meme is the existing proof that herd mentality is still a major issue in today's world. The whole shenanigan started when an online user posted a picture of a dog pooping to complain that his owner, a Seoul, Korea woman, didn't care to pick up after her pet.

The situation ended up snowballing in record time and gave way to an unforeseen Internet witch hunt. The woman was identified and received so much hate she was forced to leave her university! While we believe people should pick up after their dogs, we don't feel like it's reasonable to ruin someone's life for committing such a minor "crime."

Mac and Cheese Kid - Started as a 2015 Viral YouTube Video

From Meg Ryan to triathlete Michelle Lombardo, plenty of famous people have attended the University of Connecticut. Still, one of the most notorious has got to be Luke Gatti, a young man who became famous in 2015 after a YouTube video of his cafeteria rant went viral.

Gatti was drinking an alcoholic beverage on the cafeteria's premises and was asked to leave by the manager. He refused to go and started creating havoc out of nowhere, ironically requesting a "mac and cheese" order. After the event, Gatti became an overnight Internet celebrity, but that didn't prevent him from becoming a struggling addict and being arrested years later.

Alex From Target - Started as an Unauthorized Twitter Post From 2014

The young man in the picture is Alexander LaBeouf, a former Target cashier who saw his life take a turn for the worse out of nowhere. It all started when a Twitter user uploaded an unauthorized picture of him to their account. Fueled by the hashtag #alexfromtarget, the photo started trending, with Alex's apparent charm being the main focus.

'Alex from Target' quickly became a massive 2014 meme, and, as you'd expect, online abuse followed. At one point, poor Alex was afraid to leave his house! His overnight fame quickly turned sour, and his personal information was even leaked online at one point.

Techno Viking - Started as a Video From a 2000 Berlin Rave

The Techno Viking video, which gave way to a popular online meme, is actually pretty cool! It shows a bare-chested man commanding a troupe of rave-goers with striking authority. But like most viral videos posted without the permission of its main participants, Techno Viking ended up in court.

The unnamed man known as Techno Viking sued the video's creator, the experimental filmmaker Matthias Fritsch, for infringement of personality rights. Fritsch was forced to pay the man a hefty settlement that pretty much made for all of his YouTube ads/merchandising profits.

Justine Sacco's Tweets - Started as an Offensive and Presumably Unimportant Tweet

A woman named Justine Sacco was traveling from New York City to South Africa when she decided to publish an offensive tweet. Despite the content, she expected it to be quickly forgotten: after all, she had less than 200 Twitter followers. But by the time she made it to the African continent, she found out that she was an online meme and that the hashtag #HasJustineLandedYet was trending on social media.

Sacco's offensive tweet got so much attention that she ended up being fired from her job—a relevant managerial position at IAC. In an interview with The New York Times, she talked about how "one stupid tweet" ruined her life.

Ashley VanPevenage's Transformation - Started as Yet Another Before-and-After Picture

Sometimes, it's impossible to know why something goes viral. The Internet is loaded with before-and-after pictures, but Ashley VanPevenage's acne cover-up has for some reason attracted the interest of hundreds of thousands of online haters. Her remarkable transformation (posted to one of her friends' Instagram accounts) was criticized by many commentators, who weren't at all kind to the unsuspecting young woman.

Luckily, VanPevenage was able to come out of the situation on top. While there's no shortage of bigoted people on social media, there are also plenty of netizens who believe in online positivity. VanPevenage's brave response focused on self-acceptance and silenced many of her haters.

Plastic Surgery Ad - Started When a Plastic Surgery Ad Was Wildly Taken Out of Context

While the United States and Brazil still top the list, plastic surgery is becoming increasingly popular in Asian regions such as China, South Korea, and Taiwan. The latter was where the plastic surgery ad displayed above surfaced: it was meant to be a funny picture of two attractive parents and their not-so-good-looking children—relax, the kids were Photoshopped to look weird!

But once the Internet picked up on it, it transformed into an online meme about the dangers of cosmetic surgery. In no time, it spiraled into a Chinese fake news story about a woman who secretly hid her transformation from her husband. It's Internet 101!

JenniCam - Started as a Conceptual Art Project

JenniCam is not exactly a meme but rather a precious gem of the history of the Internet. In 1996, college student Jennifer Ringley started a groundbreaking project in which she recorded and transmitted everything she did in her dorm room, 24/7, via webcam. We know it doesn't sound that revolutionary unless you keep in mind the first-ever "Big Brother" show only premiered in 2000!

Needless to say, Ringley's avant-garde project took a toll on her personal life and received widespread criticism due to its graphic and unfiltered content (Ringley's love life included). The project ended in 2003 but left us with plenty of food for thought, even today.

Impossible Nothing - Started as a Video Resumé

The 'Impossible is Nothing' video resumé meme is yet another funny viral fad that ended up in tragedy. It all started when a man called Alexsey Vayner decided to create the most ambitious video resumé ever seen, featuring unintentionally humorous depictions of his many talents—including playing tennis and doing ballroom dancing.

The video was supposed to be seen by Vayner's potential employers only, but you know how these things go. In no time, it was a viral sensation that actor Michael Cera even mocked. Sadly, Vayner didn't find the joke funny: after years of bullying, he passed away from a drug overdose in 2013.

Young Thug Looking at a Computer - Started as a Picture of Young Thug and Lil Durk Looking at... a Computer

In the world of online memes, few things are as precious and long-lasting as a genuine facial expression. So what about two? The rappers Young Thug and Lil Durk found themselves at the center of an online viral sensation when a picture of them inspired thousands of netizens to build the most elaborate and funny hypothesis to what they were looking at.

The trend started in 2018, and you can still spot some 'Young Thug Looking at the Computer' memes out there. But why were they so focused? According to Lil Durk, they were most likely moving some vocal tracks around on the computer. Music production is harrowing, man!

First World Problems - Started as a Stock Photo

The image associated with the 'First World Problems' meme is a stock photo, but where did the idea come from? According to Know Your Meme, the first reference to "first world problems" may have appeared in a 1995 song by "Matthew Good Band." Years later, it was taken into the mainstream by the comedian Louis C.K., who summed up the whole idea behind the meme in his 2011 stand-up special "Hilarious."

'First World Problems' also appeared on Tumblr and the much-influential SomethingAwful website. It's a meme about the often insignificant issues that tend to trouble white people living in developed countries.

Change My Mind - Started at Texas Christian University

The 'Change My Mind' meme goes back to 2018 when conservative podcaster Steven Crowder decided to upload a photo of himself to the web. The original picture was taken at Texas Christian University, and the original caption read, "Male privilege is a myth: change my mind."

Crowder's goal was to invite fellow students to have a sit-down and discuss male privilege. But the image has since inspired thousands to share their unpopular opinions online. You've probably seen it on Twitter, with scandalous Photoshopped sentences such as "Pineapple goes on pizza" and "Shorts should be half the price of pants."

Drakeposting - Started as a Drake-inspired 4Chan Reaction Meme

In 2015, the Canadian musician Drake released "Hotline Bling," one of the most popular hit songs of the last decade. The tune was as famous for its catchiness as it was for its music video, which showed a sharp-dressed Drake dancing uniquely. Two particular screenshots of the video caught the eye of 4Chan commentators, who created and popularized the 'Drakeposting' meme.

The meme is funny because it's captioned with something Drake does not approve, and something Drake's happy about. Popular variations include 'Cat Drake,' a photoshopped version of the meme that got huge on Instagram in 2016.

Is this a Pigeon? - Started as a Screenshot From a Japanese Anime

Just like the 'All Your Base Are Belong to Us' meme, the 'Is this a pigeon?' meme also started with a funny Japanese image that was unconvincingly translated to English. In this case, the reference is the 1991 TV series "The Brave Fighter of Sun Fighbird." The image in question is a screenshot that represents confusion and absurdism when taken out of context.

The meme got big on Tumblr and was popularized by websites such as BuzzFeed and Smosh. Meme makers adapted the meme by Photoshopping the image's caption and butterfly and sometimes changing the character's face.

Real Name Google Searches - Started as a Lil Pump-inspired Image Uploaded to Reddit

The 'Real Name Google Searches' meme is simple: it's about mocking Google's search by creating creative extensions to celebrity monikers. 'The Rock' becomes 'Theorodore Rockefeller,' Vin Diesel becomes 'Vinegar Dieselson,' and '50 Cent' becomes '50th Century.' It's so easy that you can probably come up with your own celebrity-full-name mock-ups right now! But when did it all start?

According to Know Your Meme, the original 'Real Name Google Searches' was inspired by the American rapper 'Lil Pump' and his fabricated full name 'Lilliam Pumpernickel.' The original meme was popularized on Reddit, and it didn't take long before it was everywhere.

Futurama Fry - Started as a Screenshot Taken From the Futurama TV Series

Also known by 'Not sure if,' the 'Futurama Fry' meme has got to be one of the most popular memes on the web. It uses a screenshot of the "Futurama" character 'Fry' in which he can be seen narrowing his eyes as if he was considering something fundamental or having an epiphany.

The meme's been around since 2011 and is usually captioned with the sentences "Not sure if [something], or [something else]." Approximately one year after it first popped up, the meme was already so big that it was used to promote the 7th season of "Futurama" on the Comedy Central network.

Kermit the Frog - Started as a Sesame Street Character

'Kermit the Frog' memes are impossible to miss: they've been around at least since 2007 and come in many versions, from the classic 'Sad Kermit' to the absurd 'I haz a shuvel,' not to mention Internet's own 'But that's none of my business.' Tracking down the origin of these memes isn't that hard: they're all inspired by the beloved "Sesame Street" character 'Kermit.' But why are they so popular?

In 2016, the BBC asked a couple of experts the same question, and science's answer couldn't be more convincing: the reason why people love 'Kermit the Frog' memes is that 'Kermit' is a familiar childhood favorite. It's as simple as that!

Jason Momoa Sneaks Up On Henry Cavill - Started as a Photo From the Suicide Squad Premiere

Is there anything people love more than celebrity shenanigans? When the world's favorite movie stars put themselves on the right spot, there's a big chance they will end up becoming a meme. Just ask actors Jason Momoa and Henry Cavill, who have been making the Internet laugh with this cheeky picture captured during the premiere of the 2016 movie "Suicide Squad."

The picture is so meme-able that it quickly became popular on Facebook, with netizens captioning Cavill and Momoa with all sorts of things. One of our favorites shows Momoa as 'Windows update' and Cavill as 'My productivity.'

Tired Spongebob - Started as a Still Image From Spongebob Squarepants

Just like Kermit the Frog, the character of Spongebob Squarepants is a meme-making favorite due to its nostalgic value. 'Tired Spongebob' is one of the most popular memes of the type and shows an exhausted Spongebob without its characteristic shorts on. Inspired by a 1999 episode of "SpongeBob SquarePants," it started to gain traction in 2018, appearing most consistently on Twitter.

The meme is used to represent all the little things that make us very tired. Popular captions include sentences such as "Me after replying to one person" or "Me after socializing for more than 10 mins."

Crying Michael Jordan - Started as an Emotional Hall-of-Fame Induction Speech

In 2009, the basketball legend Michael Jordan couldn't have imagined that a sheer moment of weakness would transform him into such a popular meme. During his Basketball Hall of Fame induction speech, the former NBA superstar was very emotional. Naturally, the Internet took notice and decided to make something out of it.

It was then the 'Crying Michael Jordan' meme was born, appearing most prominently in websites such as The Coli Forums and Tumblr. Sports fans often use it to show disappointment towards their team's performance, but countless variations have been created.

I Was Today Years Old - Started as a Tweet From Staci Charles

The 'I was today years old' expression makes for a hilarious meme, commonly used to reference something people have just found out about. According to Know Your Meme, its origin can be traced back to a 2015 tweet posted by user Staci Charles, in which she wrote, "I was today years old when I learned I had been wearing the wrong size bra my entire life."

The original meme quickly inspired countless replicas, with online users trying their best to be funny about their most recent discoveries. Variations of the meme also include blatantly untrue discoveries. According to Google Trends, its popularity peaked in 2018.

Scumbag Steve - Stared as a Beantown Mafia Album Cover

You have probably never heard about the rap group "Beantown Mafia." But we're pretty sure you've seen 'Scumbag Steve,' the classic meme it helped to inspire. The real name of 'Scumbag Steve' is Blake Boston (aka Weezy B), and his mother reportedly took the original photo of the meme.

Little did Mrs. Boston know that the picture she took of her son would become an ever-lasting symbol of juvenile delinquency and sleaziness. Inspired by that one high-school friend of yours that was always doing the most despicable things, 'Scumbag Steve' was first popularized on Reddit in 2011 and still hasn't lost its charm (or lack thereof).

Sheltering Suburban Mom - Started as a Portrait Photo of the Novel Writer Carly Phillips

The poor novel writer Carly Phillips couldn't have imagined that one of her portraits would become a meme. But for some unknown reason, the original creators of the 'Sheltering Suburban Mom' meme thought she looked a lot like an overprotective mother living in the suburbs.

The image gained traction in websites such as Quickmeme and Reddit and makes for one of those irresistible memes everyone can relate to. The 'Sheltering Suburban Mom' meme embodies everything netizens think is wrong with stereotypical stay-at-home mothers that care too vigilantly for their children, even when they're not so young anymore.

Woman Yelling at a Cat - Started as a The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Screen Cap

No, these "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" cast members—Taylor Armstrong and Kyle Richards—aren't screaming at a white cat. But ever since a Twitter user known as 'dm' decided to place the two pictures side-by-side in a 2019 tweet, pretty much everybody thinks they were.

Hence, the 'Woman Yelling at a Cat' meme was born, which is only believable because reality television tends to get absurd sometimes... The image made it quickly to 4Chan and Reddit and is often used to parody people who accuse clueless culprits of the most trivial crimes.

Trump Yelling at Lawn-mowing Boy - Started as a Picture of a Boy Mowing the White House Lawn

In 2017, a young boy named Frank Giacco wrote a letter to then-President Donald Trump, offering to mow the White House lawn. The event made for a big photo-op, and journalists rushed to the site like most presidential things. It was meant to be an endearing moment, but guess what? In one of the pics, Trump happens to look like he's shouting "You're fired!" to a poor lawn-mowing kid.

Before one could say 'lawnmower,' the picture was already trending online, giving way to a popular meme that's often captioned with an all-caps sentence. It's not flattering for Donald Trump, but it's still unmistakenly funny!

Side Eyeing Chloe - Started as a Viral Youtube Reaction Video

Little kids in the backseat of a car going viral on Youtube? We've all seen it with 'David After Dentist,' but did you know it happened to sisters Lily and Chloe too? The viral video in question was uploaded to the web in 2013 and showed the reaction of the two kids when their parents told them they were going to visit Disneyland.

The video itself is a blast, but little Chloe's iconic expression is even better. Meme makers surely noticed it when they created the 'Side Eyeing Chloe' meme and made it trend on Tumblr in 2013. It remains a landmark of the Internet today.

How I Sleep Knowing - Started as a Screenshot From SpongeBob SquarePants

It's evident that the image used for the 'How I sleep knowing' meme was taken from an episode of "SpongeBob SquarePants." But strangely enough, the exact origin of the meme cannot be traced back to one single instance. For all we know, it started trending on Twitter in 2014.

While the picture above is the best-known version of the meme, variations include all kinds of photos, including images of real Twitter users, stock photos, and—you guessed it—the ever-present Kermit the Frog! It's often used ironically, as in "How I sleep knowing that I'm single and nobody is cheating on me."

Galaxy Brain - Started on the r/dankmemes Reddit Thread

On January 31, 2017, the Reddit user 'janskishimanski' uploaded the first known version of the 'Galaxy brain' meme, which is meant to represent the various expanding degrees of something. The original version was simple, depicting the evolution of the word "who," from "who" to "whom" to "whom'st," and, finally, to "whomst'd."

Since then, the meme's been used for all sorts of jokes and became particularly popular as a dank meme, which is a type of meme that's intentionally bizarre, slightly intellectual, and sometimes admittedly not funny. It appeared on countless media outlets, from PopSugar to New York Magazine.

Who Would Win? - Started as a Speculative Question Posted to 4Chan

In 2010, a 4Chan user asked who would win in a battle between two video game characters (namely, 'Solid Snake' and 'Sam Fisher'). The innocent question gave way to a storm of alternative "Who would win?" questions, and it wasn't long before the meme was trending on Tumblr.

The 'Who would win?' meme is an Internet landmark, but a real-life meme may have inspired it. After all, kids and grown-ups have been posing the same question to each other for ages, even before the invention of Wi-Fi. It's prevalent amongst netizens who love to read and make political memes.