In 2007, Charlie Bit My Finger turned two ordinary children into celebrities. In 2012, you couldn't go ten minutes without hearing Gangnam Style. Last year, Adele's Hello became the music video that launched a thousand parodies.
So what were the defining viral videos of the year? Here are some of the candidates:
Chewbacca mom
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In May, Texas mother Candace Payne uploaded a video to Facebook entitled "It's the simple joys in life..." in which she laughs hysterically while trying out a talking Chewbacca mask.
Her infectious delight struck a chord with Facebook users, who shared the clip a stonking 3.3 million times. The shops ran out of the masks within days as the video spread, and Payne was invited to appear on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and on James Corden's Carpool series, reports Forbes.
Brownlee brothers [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"content_original","fid":"105391","attributes":{"class":"media-image"}}]]
British running champion Jonny Brownlee was moments away from winning the final race in the World Triathlon Series in Mexico when heat and fatigue overwhelmed him. Metres from the finish line, he began to stagger, seemingly on the verge of passing out.
But his brother Alistair, who was running comfortably in third place, decided not to overtake him and instead dragged him to the finish line and pushed him ahead to ensure he finished in second – a display of brotherly love that brought a tear to the nation's eye.
Jonathan Pie
As pro-Remainers and anti-Trumpers alike struggled to wrap their heads around this year's two astonishing blows to the political establishment, British satirist Jonathan Pie took to Facebook to express his frustration with the left-wing's failure to predict or understand the rise of populism.
The video quickly racked up 22 million views. While not everyone agreed with his assessment, with some accusing him of acting as an apologist for bigots, it certainly got people talking.
Beyonce at the Super Bowl [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"content_original","fid":"105392","attributes":{"class":"media-image"}}]]
In the middle of a fierce national debate over police brutality in the US and the Black Lives Matter movement, Beyonce turned her half-time gig at the Super Bowl into a bold political statement.
Dressed in military-style black leathers, she gave a Black Power raised-fist salute before launching into her black pride anthem, Formation. The racially charged performance drew both criticism and applause, and received more than 100 million views.
25,000ft no parachute [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"content_original","fid":"105393","attributes":{"class":"media-image"}}]]
How do you survive a jump from a plane with no parachute and nothing to break your fall but a net somewhere 25,000ft below?
There's no catch – American skydiver Luke Aikens did just that. As onlookers on the ground held their breath, the fearless thrillseeker plummeted through the air and made his Looney Tunes-style landing look effortless. Even if you know he succeeded, it's almost impossible not to watch through your fingers.
SNL First debate [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"content_original","fid":"105394","attributes":{"class":"media-image"}}]]
In an election season that seemed almost too surreal to parody, Saturday Night Live fans looked forward to the comedy institution's take on Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton's first presidential debate.
Alongside Kate McKinnon as Clinton, the sketch introduced the world to Alec Baldwin's Trump. His uncanny take-off of the billionaire's idiosyncratic mannerisms had the internet in stitches – except Trump himself, who complained on Twitter that the skit was "Unwatchable! Totally biased, not funny and the Baldwin impersonation just can't get any worse. Sad."
Damn, Daniel [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"content_original","fid":"105395","attributes":{"class":"media-image"}}]]
Californian high school student Joshua Holz filmed himself greeting his embarrassed friend, Daniel Lara, with a "Damn, Daniel!" on multiple occasions, and turned it into a Snapchat compilation that millions of people tuned in to. While many adults were left baffled by the clip's popularity, schoolteachers reported that references to the Damn, Daniel video had become ubiquitous in classrooms.
