Origins & Early Life

Jawed Karim (born October 28, 1979) is a German and American software engineer and internet entrepreneur of Bangladeshi descent. He is one of the co-founders of YouTube and the first person to upload a video to the site. The site's inaugural video, "Me at the zoo", uploaded on April 23, 2005, has been viewed over 433 million times as of September 2026. During Karim's time working at PayPal, where he met fellow YouTube co-founders Steve Chen and Chad Hurley, he designed many of its core components, including its real-time anti-fraud system.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Jawed Karim was born on October 28, 1979, in Merseburg, East Germany, to a Bangladeshi father and a German mother. His father Naimul Karim (Bengali: নাইমুল করিম) is a Bangladeshi who is a researcher at 3M, and his mother, Christine, is a German biochemistry scientist at the University of Minnesota. He was the elder of two boys. He crossed the inner German border with his family in the early 1980s due to experiencing racism, growing up in Neuss, West Germany. Facing racism there as well, Karim moved with his family to Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States, in 1992.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

He graduated from Saint Paul Central High School in 1997...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Aaliyah — Contemporary (Born in 1979) (1979): Pioneering R&B artist known for redefining urban pop and hip hop sounds.
• Adam Brody — Contemporary (Born in 1979) (1979): American actor known for roles in The O.C., Shazam!, and StartUp.
• Agostinho Neto — Contemporary (Died in 1979) (1979): Angolan communist revolutionary, poet, and first President of Angola.
• Bernadette Lafont — Shared historical date (10-28 · Born) (1938): Iconic French actress, celebrated for her role in the New Wave movement.
• Bill Gates — Shared historical date (10-28 · Born) (1955): Co-founder of Microsoft, pioneer of the microcomputer revolution and global philanthropist.
• Andrew Scheer — Historical peer (Born in 1979) (1979): Canadian politician, former leader of the Conservative Party of Canada.
• Bilal (American singer) — Historical peer (Born in 1979) (1979): Acclaimed American singer known for wide vocal range and genre-blending soul music.
• Ahmed Zaki (actor) — Historical peer (Died in 2005) (2005): Iconic Egyptian actor celebrated for intense dramatic performances.
• Anthony Barber — Historical peer (Died in 2005) (2005): British Conservative politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (1970-1974)
• Biruté Galdikas — Historical peer (Died in 2026) (2026): Pioneering primatologist and conservationist, renowned for her work with orangutans.
• 1979 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1979
• October 28 (10-28) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on October 28