10 famous first tweets from the Pope, Barack Obama, the Dalai Lama, and more

Pope Benedict XVI's first message to his followers? Perfectly coherent if a bit old-school: "Dear friends, I am pleased to get in touch with you through Twitter"

Pope Benedict XVI
(Image credit: AP Photo/Osservatore Roman)

A newcomer to social media, Pope Benedict XVI blessed his followers on Twitter for the first time Wednesday, sending out the first tweet from his brand-new account, @Pontifex (Latin for "greatest pontiff").

Dear friends, I am pleased to get in touch with you through Twitter. Thank you for your generous response. I bless all of you from my heart.— Benedict XVI (@Pontifex) December 12, 2012

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up
Latest Videos FromThe Week US
Chris Gayomali is the science and technology editor for TheWeek.com. Previously, he was a tech reporter at TIME. His work has also appeared in Men's Journal, Esquire, and The Atlantic, among other places. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.

Explore your latest briefing

Explore your latest briefing