The very first tweet turns 20: how Twitter, which became X, revolutionized public debate

On March 21, 2006, a message of just a few words was posted on a new platform still unknown to the general public. Twenty years later, this message has become part of internet history. The social network, initially called Twitter and then renamed X after its acquisition by Elon Musk, has established itself as one of the central venues for global public debate.

Over the years, the platform has profoundly transformed the flow of information, the relationship between political figures and their audiences, and even the way in which global events are disseminated in real time. A look back at two decades of a service that has become essential… and sometimes controversial.

A first tweet that became historic

It all started on March 21, 2006. On that day, Jack Dorsey, co-founder of the platform, posted a message that has become legendary: “just setting up my twttr”.

At the time, the service was still called “twttr”, an abbreviated version inspired by SMS and the naming conventions of the time. This 24-character message marked the birth of a new type of social network centered on short messages called "tweets." Over the years, Twitter has become one of the symbols of Web 2.0, characterized by direct interaction between internet users, journalists, politicians, and businesses. Today, more than 500 million messages are reportedly published every day on the platform. Jack Dorsey's first tweet has also become a curiosity in digital history, so much so that in 2021, it was sold as an NFT for nearly $2.9 million. This transaction illustrates the speculative frenzy surrounding NFTs at that time, before their value rapidly collapsed…

A platform at the heart of world news

In twenty years, Twitter, renamed X, has established itself as a major conduit for world news, and many historic announcements have been published or shared there first.

The platform notably supported Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, one of the first to make extensive use of social media. It has also served as a direct channel for heads of state like Donald Trump, whose messages regularly provoke heated debates. Some tweets have even had economic consequences, such as in 2013 when a fake message posted after the Associated Press account was hacked announced an explosion at the White House, causing over $130 billion in losses for the S&P 500 index. From Twitter to X: A Controversial Transformation: The social network's history took a major turn in 2022 when Elon Musk acquired Twitter for $44 billion. After a highly publicized legal and media battle, the entrepreneur finally took control of the company. A year later, he renamed the platform "X" and replaced the iconic blue bird with his minimalist black logo. This transformation is accompanied by numerous changes, such as mass layoffs, an evolution of the account verification system, and the return of some banned users. These decisions have deeply divided the community, and some users have even left the platform for alternatives like Bluesky, Mastodon, or Threads. Despite this, X remains a central player in the digital ecosystem, particularly in the technology, political, and media sectors. Twenty years after the first tweet, which Jack Dorsey celebrated in his own way, the platform continues to illustrate how a simple message of a few characters can sometimes influence world events.