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9 Facts About YouTube on Its 9th Anniversary

By Kyli Singh

YouTube, with its bottomless supply of videos, is turning nine.

The first video ever uploaded to YouTube went up on April 23, 2005, nine years ago Wednesday. To commemorate YouTube's ninth anniversary, we've put together nine fun facts about the video sharing site we all know and love.

1. Paypal brought founders together

YouTube was founded in 2005 by Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and Jawed Karim. The trio met at PayPal, where they were all former employees. YouTube's first headquarters sat above a pizzeria and Japanese restaurant in San Mateo, Calif.

2. It was originally a dating site

An earlier version of YouTube was a dating site called "Tune In Hook Up," influenced by the site "Hot or Not," which let users rate the attractiveness of potential partners. But the idea of a video version of Hot or Not failed to catch on after a couple of months.

3. What inspired YouTube as we know it

YouTube's founders say two key experiences inspired them to turn what had been a dating site into the video sharing site we all know. Karim had had trouble finding footage online of Janet Jackson's Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction and, later, of the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004. And Hurley and Chen had difficulty sharing a video shot at a dinner party in San Francisco in 2005.

4. YouTube? Or Utube?

The domain name YouTube.com was activated on Valentine's Day in 2005 and the site was developed months after. But the domain name didn't sit well with an Ohio-based industrial equipment supplier called Universal Tube and Rollform Equipment, with the domain "utube.com." Utube.com was flooded with traffic from people trying to spell the video site, and its owners sued YouTube saying its business was hurt. Claims were dismissed, though, and Utube has changed its site to utubeonline.com.

5. And the first-ever YouTube video upload was...

The first video uploaded to YouTube, titled "Me at the zoo," made its online debut on April 23, 2005. The 19-second video was shot by Yakov Lapitsky and shows YouTube co-founder Karim at the San Diego Zoo. It has racked up 14 million views in its nine years online.

6. April Fools!

Since 2008, YouTube has featured an April Fools' Day prank on April 1 of every year. The first prank, known as "rickrolling," remains a classic: The featured videos on YouTube's main page linked to the music video for Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up." From turning the site upside-down in 2009 to allowing users to submit ideas for memes in 2014, YouTube knows how to pull a great prank.

7. Surprising stats

YouTube says users worldwide upload 100 hours of video each minute, and more than 6 billion hours of video are watched each month. More than 1 billion unique users visit YouTube each month, and 80 percent of traffic comes from outside the U.S.

8. Most Viewed Music Video of All Time

According to Videotrine, the nod for the most viewed video of all time goes to the music video for PSY's "Gangnam Style," with 1.9 billion views:

9. Most Viewed Viral Video of All Time

Not counting music videos, the most viewed viral video is the classic "Charlie Bit My Finger," which clocks in at 6.9 million views, according to Videotrine:

Meb Keflezighi first American to win Boston Marathon since 1983

by John Connolly

Not only did Boston reclaim its marathon today, but for the first time in 31 years, an American man earned the winner’s laurel wreath in the historic run from Hopkinton to Boston.

Meb Keflezighi sped to an impressive 2:08:37 finish to become the first American man to win Boston since Greg Meyer did it in 1983. He is the first American runner to win since Lisa Larsen Weidenbach won the women’s race in 1985.

The significance of an American winning the race a year after bombs marred the event and stunned the entire country was not lost on the 38-year-old from San Diego.

"Every day since (the bombings), I wanted to come back and win it," Keflezighi said. "Since the Red Sox won and put the trophy right there (at the finish line), I wanted to do it."

Keflezighi kissed the ground and let out a victorious scream after crossing the line, bowing to the hysterical throngs lining Boylston Street at the finish, tears streaming down his face.

Kenya’s Wilson Chebet who finished fifth in the 2012 Boston Marathon, closed the gap to eight seconds on Beacon Street near Kenmore Square, but couldn’t get the kick needed to catch the American, who surged down Boylston Street to a deafening reception from the crowd.

"The last three to four miles, (the crowd) pushed me through it," Keflezighi said. "I'm so lucky to be the champion.

"It's not about me," he continued. "It's Boston Strong. Meb Strong."

Chebet finished second in 2:08:48. Frankline Chepkwony of Kenya finished third in 2:08:50. Americans Nicholas Arciniaga and Jeffrey Eggleston finished seventh and eighth, respectively.

Keflezighi seemed to take control of the race at the 25K mark in Newton.

Keflezighi won the 2009 New York City Marathon in 2009 (2:09.15) and has some impressive Olympic performances on his resume. He finished fourth in the 2012 marathon at the London Summer Games and won the silver medal in the 2004 Summer Games in Athens.

Country music singer Kevin Sharp dead at 43

photo COURTESY OF SUE VELDKAMP/AP

FAIR OAKS, Calif. - Kevin Sharp, a country music singer who recorded multiple chart-topping songs and survived a well-publicized battle with cancer, has died. He was 43.

His sister Mary Huston said Sharp died at his mother's Fair Oaks home at 10:49 p.m. Saturday of complications from past stomach surgeries and digestive issues.

"He had a strong heart, that's what kept him alive, (but) I'm so happy for him, that there's no more suffering," Huston said through tears and exhaustion. She had cared for her brother since his return home to Northern California last Friday after 10 weeks in the hospital.

The singer, author, and motivational speaker made his big debut in Country music in 1997 with the No. 1 hit, “Nobody Knows,” a cover of a song originally made popular by R&B artist Tony Rich. The single topped the Billboard country charts for four weeks. Sharp’s debut album Measure of a Man was released the same year, producing additional Top 5 singles “If You Love Somebody” and “She’s Sure Taking It Well.”

Being a cancer survivor, he was an active supporter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He authored an inspirational book, Tragedy’s Gift, about his experience and toured the U.S. as a motivational speaker.

Born December 10, 1970, Sharp grew up in Weiser, Idaho in a musical family of seven children and many foster children. They moved to Sacramento, California as Sharp was entering his second year of high school. A gifted athlete who excelled in several sports, he began experiencing fatigue and unexplained pain that was later diagnosed as a rare form of bone cancer (Ewings Sarcoma) that had spread to his lungs. During his senior year of high school, Sharp was told that his chance of survival was slim.

Uncertain if he would live six months, he was introduced to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses. They honored his wish of meeting producer/performer David Foster. That friendship sustained Sharp through two grueling years of chemotherapy, experimental drugs, and radiation treatments. It also opened the door for Sharp to pursue his dream of becoming a Country artist, and he eventually landed a deal with Asylum Records in Nashville.

To the surprise of many, he went into remission in 1991 and the disease did not return. However, he experienced lifelong health issues as a result of the aggressive treatment.

Sharp’s musical career garnered many accolades including New Male Vocalist from the Academy of Country Music, New Male Touring Artist of the Year from the Country Music Association/SRO, Favorite New Country Artist from the American Music Awards, Billboard Magazine’s Best New Country Video and TNN/Music City News Male Star of Tomorrow.

His last single was 2011’s “Let Me Rock You To Sleep.”

Donations can be made in his memory to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Memories of Sharp can be emailed to sharp@kevinsharp.com, and cards for the family can be sent to:

Kevin Sharp
c/o Cupit Music Group
7309 Tidwell Road
Nashville, TN 37209

A memorial service celebrating Sharp’s life is being planned for Nashville. More information will be released in the near future.

He is survived by his mother, and siblings Lisa, Mary, Ron, Gregg, Richard, Larry and Genni.

Former Oak Ridge Boys' bass Noel Fox passes away

By Jerry Kirksey

Noel Fox was one of the Oak Ridge Boys' most beloved singers. In the four years Noel sang bass he won the hearts of Oak Ridge fans across America. Noel replaced Herman Harper when Herman decided he wanted to come off the road to be with his family. Noel was with the Oaks from 1969-1972.

Before joining the Oaks Noel sang in the Tennesseans Quartet with Dale Shelnut. He joined the Harvesters Quartet in 1964.

Noel suffered a massive stroke several days ago. After surgery, his condition deteriorated. Yersterday the decision was made to remove him from life support. He died mid afternoon on April 10, 2003.

Douglas Noel Fox was born October 31, 1939 in Columbia, Tennessee. He was the son of T.P. and Elizabeth Fox. Noel is survived by his wife, two daughters, and a son.

Noel was with the Oak Ridge Boys while they were still full time in Southern Gospel Music. He sang on Oak hits such as, "Jesus Is Coming Soon", "I Know", "House of Gold", and "Wings of A Dove."

Current Oak Ridge Boys

Glen Campbell Has Been Moved Into a Facility

by Gillian Telling
photo's by Ray Tharaldson
all rights reserved 2014

Glen Campbell has been suffering from Alzheimer's for over three years, but the Grammy-winning singer, 78, has recently moved into a facility, PEOPLE has confirmed.

"He was moved to an Alzhemier's facility last week," says a family friend. "I'm not sure what the permanent plan is for him yet. We'll know more next week."

The "Rhinestone Cowboy" crooner first opened up about having Alzheimer's to PEOPLE in an exclusive 2011 interview.

Campbell and his fourth wife, Kim Woolen, decided to go public with the news because Campbell hoped to embark on a final farewell live tour. The couple wanted his fans to be aware of his condition in case he forgot lyrics or flubbed a song during the performances.

The "Goodbye Tour" tour was filmed for a documentary called Glen Campbell … I'll Be Me, which will make its debut Friday at the 2014 Nashville Film Festival. The documentary follows Campbell, his wife, and their three adult children – Cal, Shannon, and Ashley – as they deal with the various stages of the disease and perform on the road together.

"I still love making music," Campbell told PEOPLE at the time.

"And I still love performing for my fans. I'd like to thank them for sticking with me through thick and thin."

Pope Francis Washes Feet of Elderly and Disabled for Pre-Easter Ritual

by Eliana Dockterman

Francis continues to break with tradition by performing the pre-Easter ritual on non-Catholics.

“Jesus made a gesture, a job, the service of a slave, a servant ... We need to be servants to one another,” the pontiff said

Pope Francis washed the feetof 12 elderly and disabled people during a Holy Thursday ritual in Rome on Thursday, the Associated Press reports.

Francis also performed the pre-Easter ritual last year on female and Muslim inmates at a juvenile detention center in Rome. That represented a major break with papal tradition, as typically only Catholic men are included in the practice.

The Vatican has not yet released the religious backgrounds of all the participants of this year’s ceremony, but Vatican officials said the participants came from various religious backgrounds. The Pope told the gathered crowd that he performs the ritual in order to remind himself of Jesus’ call to help others.

“Jesus made a gesture, a job, the service of a slave, a servant,” Franics said. “And he leaves this inheritance to us: We need to be servants to one another.”

Brazil struggles with its World Cup preparations

By TALES AZZONI

SAO PAULO (AP) — Although expectations are high for Brazil's football team at the World Cup, it's already clear the country didn't do a very good job preparing for the tournament.

With only two months before the opener, there are serious concerns about the country's readiness. Doubts remain about whether stadiums will be finished in time, and it's highly unlikely all promised infrastructure work will be completed.

Organizers will also have to worry about the widespread street protests that are expected during the tournament with demonstrators already unhappy about corruption, poor public services and the billions of dollars being spent to host the World Cup and the 2016 Olympics.

Even though Brazil was awarded the World Cup in 2007, local organizers are scrambling to complete all the necessary work. FIFA is more than worried, saying it's "a race" to make sure the country delivers everything it promised.

"Brazil will be a well-done World Cup," FIFA President Sepp Blatter said, then criticized local authorities for taking too long to start work projects. "Some of the delays is because there was no work for years. But we're on the way now to finishing the stadiums."

Three stadiums remain under construction, including the one hosting the opening match between Brazil and Croatia on June 12 in Sao Paulo.

All six venues that were expected to be ready by the end of last year missed FIFA's deadline. The other six had already been used during the Confederations Cup, but four of those also weren't ready when expected. One of the host cities, Curitiba, was nearly excluded from the competition because of the delays at its stadium.

Because the venues took so long to be ready, FIFA is now racing to install the temporary structures that are crucial for the media, sponsors and technical teams. Some of the host cities didn't want to pay for them even though they signed contracts saying they would.

The northeastern city of Recife didn't want to pay for its fanfest, which allows those without tickets to watch matches in public areas for free, prompting FIFA to say it could sue the city for breach of contract. It remains unclear if the event will happen.

"All is written, all is signed and all the responsibilities or duties for each party are very well known," FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke said.

There were so many difficulties in Brazil that football's governing body has already hinted that things will be done differently in Russia in four years.

"It's a lesson and definitely we will act differently," Valcke said. "We will have to find a different way of working for Russia 2018."

The biggest loser this time is Brazil itself, which for political reasons insisted in hosting the tournament in 12 cities instead of the eight that FIFA wanted and now is paying the price.

The local government didn't take full advantage of the World Cup and missed a series of opportunities to improve the country. Because of a lack of proper planning, some of the promised infrastructure projects were canceled and many will only be ready after the competition ends.

Airports won't be fully ready in time, according to industry experts, and there are also concerns with transportation projects and even with energy supply during the monthlong competition.

Back in 2007, then president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said the World Cup stadiums would be financed mostly by private companies, but today it's known that public funds are behind the vast majority of them, either through loans or tax breaks.

That, in part, is what is expected to fuel the street protests across the country, many of which could turn violent, as happened during last year's Confederations Cup. The warm-up tournament was not directly affected, but demonstrators used the competition's international appeal to attract attention to their demands and complain against FIFA and the local government.

With about 150,000 professionals from security forces and armed forces available, the Brazilian government is promising that "the World Cup in Brazil will be the safest" ever despite the protests.

But there is little doubt organizers can't wait for the opening kickoff, when most of the focus will turn away from the off-the-field issues.

Then it will all be on the shoulders of Neymar and coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, who will have a much better chance to give Brazilians a reason to celebrate.

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Follow Tales Azzoni on Twitter: www.twitter.com/tazzoni