LOL

Twitter 2006-05 humor evergreen Updated 2026-02-10
Pre-Twitter era Massive scale 10B+ lifetime posts

First documented in May 2006 on Twitter. Evergreen hashtag with sustained activity since 2006, returning to use in cycles rather than spiking and fading.

#LOL

Laugh out loud - the internet’s oldest expression of humor brought to hashtag form.

Quick Facts

AttributeValue
First AppearedMay 2006
Origin PlatformTwitter
Categoryhumor
Statusevergreen
Est. Lifetime Posts10B+

Origin & Impact

While “LOL” predates Twitter by decades (originating in early internet chat), #lol became one of the first emotion-based hashtags. Users tagged funny tweets, memes, and reactions, creating discoverable comedy feeds.

The hashtag’s simplicity made it universal. Despite evolving into ironic use (laughing at tragedy, sarcasm markers), #lol remains one of social media’s most-used tags across all platforms.

#LOL exemplifies how pre-internet slang seamlessly transitioned to hashtag culture, becoming shorthand for an entire emotional register online.

References

Explore #LOL

Related Hashtags

2006 2011 #LOL 2006 #DeathNote 2006 #Funny 2009 #mdr 2010 #LaughOutLoud 2010 #233 2011
Related hashtags by year of first appearance — circle size reflects lifetime volume, fade reflects how active each tag still is.