The Illustrated History of Twitter

Take 140 characters, put them in a blender and mix for eight years. What do you get? About $31 billion

That's the secret recipe behind Twitter, the social networking powerhouse celebrating a birthday today. Whether you're an addict, a casual tweeter or still a skeptic, Twitter has grown into a necessity in the world of breaking news and culture

See also: 23 Awkward Types of First Tweets

To follow the social network's path over the last eight years, watch our animated whiteboard video. You might remember your first tweet — but can you recall the first tweet sent from space? Or the name of Twitter's blue bird mascot? Find out above. Read more...

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The Illustrated History of Twitter