The Meme Museum

A 5-second clip of a prairie dog (not actually a chipmunk) turning dramatically to face the camera, accompanied by a dramatic orchestral sting from the Japanese show Hello Morning. Posted to YouTube in 2007, it became one of the most remixed and referenced clips of the era.

Born from a famously bad English translation of the 1989 Japanese arcade game Zero Wing. The phrase 'All your base are belong to us' became one of the earliest and most widespread internet memes, spawning thousands of image macros and flash videos in 2001.

Created in 1996 by animator Michael Girard using 3D character animation software. The file spread across the early internet via email chains and was featured on the TV show Ally McBeal, introducing millions to the concept of a 'viral' piece of content before that word existed.

Drawn by Carlos Ramirez in Microsoft Paint in 2008 and posted to DeviantArt. The smug, grinning face became the universal symbol of internet trolling and problem-causing. It spread across 4chan, Reddit, and YouTube comment sections for years afterward.

Created by Christopher Torres in April 2011, Nyan Cat is a pixelated cat with a Pop-Tart body flying through space leaving a rainbow trail, set to a catchy Japanese pop song. The YouTube video accumulated over 100 million views and spawned endless parody versions.