Instagram is one of the most popular social media networks on the planet. By 2025, experts predict that the platform will have 1.44+ billion users. But who created Instagram? When did it launch? Let’s take a trip back in time to discover the origins of Instagram and fun facts about the platform.
When Was Instagram Created?
Instagram launched on October 6, 2010. In a single day, the platform amassed about 25,000 users.
Who Owns Instagram?
Today, Instagram is owned by Meta Platforms, Inc., the parent company of Facebook. At launch, the company was owned by founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger.
The History of Instagram
The idea for Instagram originated with Kevin Systrom, a Stanford graduate and former Google employee. Initially, the project was called Burbn because of Systrom’s interest in bourbon and whiskey.
Burbn was inspired by Foursquare and other location-based platforms. Users were able to check in at different places and post photos. At the time, posting photos and locations wasn’t a staple on social media.
Systrom secured funding for Burbn, and he recruited co-founder Mike Krieger, who had previously worked on Meebo.
Together, Krieger and Systrom reworked the idea of Burbn to focus more on posting photos taken on mobile devices. They called this new idea Instagram.
Instagram’s prototype was minimalistic and focused primarily on images, liking and commenting.
The app was finalized in just a few months, and the first photos were posted on Instagram in 2010.
Within three months of its launch, Instagram has amassed more than one million users. The platform continued to grow in popularity, and 18 months later, Facebook purchased it for $1 billion in cash and stock.
The purchase came just one month before Facebook went public.
How Posts Have Changed Over Time
Initially, Instagram images were required to be square – 640 x 640 pixels. That size was perfect for fitting the width of iPhones.
It wasn’t until 2015 that the social network expanded photo sizes to 1080 pixels.
Today, feed posts can contain a wide range of information, including:
- Geotagging data
- Tags linking to other Instagram users
- Hashtags
Users can also post Stories, and other users can send emoji reactions in lieu of private messages. Reels have been recently added to allow users to post longer and more engaging videos.
Who Was the First Person To Post on Instagram?
The first person to post on Instagram was Mike Krieger. He posted a photo of South Beach Harbor at Pier 38 in July 2010, a few months before the app’s launch on the Apple App Store.
Shortly after, Systrom published his first post, which was a photo of his dog and girlfriend.
Who Holds the Record For Most Instagram Followers?
Footballer Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for the most Instagram followers, with 599 million followers.
Lionel Messi comes in second, with 482 million followers.
When Did Instagram Hashtags Arrive?
Posting without hashtags may seem like blasphemy today. Everyone knows that if they want their post to be shown when people search, they need to add at least one hashtag. These tags were first proposed in 2007 by Chris Messina.
However, Messina recommended that the hash symbol be used for the Internet.
Twitter originally decided against using the hashtag, and Messina is adamant that he didn’t create the hashtag for the platform, although this is commonly reported.
Users of Instagram started using hashtags as early as 2010, but it wasn’t until January 2011 that Instagram truly embraced them. The social platform saw that users were using hashtags and decided to debut the feature to allow posts to be categorized by:
- Topic
- Location
- Event
Hashtags remain a popular feature on Instagram, but there are reports that they don’t provide the same level of engagement that they once did.
What Was the First Instagram Selfie Published?
Selfies may be common today, but back in 2010, they were less popular. Smartphones and their cameras started to become more powerful, and user @jennlee posted her first selfie on the platform.
As it turns out, the selfie was the first ever to be uploaded on Instagram.
You can view the first selfie for yourself here. Notice that the post was:
- Far lower quality today
- Simple yet professional
People even comment on it today, saying things like “First selfie on Instagram” and “History was made.”
Which Instagram Photo Has the Most Likes?
Lionel Messi – currently – holds the world record for the most likes on a single photo. Guinness World Records verified on March 24, 2023, that Messi’s photo of him holding the FIFA World Cup received 75,471,947 likes.
Today, Messi’s photo (view it here) has around 200,000 more likes than it did previously.
Instagram is filled with interesting history and facts. The platform has over a billion users log into their accounts per month. If you haven’t already, sign up for your own account and become part of the platform’s history.
