Elon Musk bought the social network that probably more than others is able to convey the public debate. Some of the messages that have in some way marked the history of the last 15 years according to AFP have been published on Twitter. From the first tweet of the founder, Jack Dorsey, to those with which the former American president, Donald Trump, incited his supporters who attacked the Capitol in 2021.
1. Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey (@jack) posts the first tweet: “I’m setting up my twttr.”.
2. Astronaut Mike Massimo (@astro_mike) writes the first tweet from space: “In orbit: the launch was fantastic! I’m in great shape, working hard and enjoying the beautiful landscape, the adventure of a lifetime has begun “.
3. To formalize the engagement between Prince William and Kate Middleton is the account @ClarenceHouse: “The Prince of Wales is pleased to announce the engagement between Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton. The wedding will take place in April 2011”.
4. Sohaib Athar, IT consultant in Pakistan, tweets on the @ReallyVirtual account: “A helicopter hovers over Abbottabad at 1am (very unusual).” Unknowingly, he was one of the first witnesses to the US raid that led to his death. by Osama bin Laden.
5. On presidential election night, @BarackObama tweeted “Four more years”, accompanied by a photo of him hugging his wife Michelle. The message, used by various media to announce the election result, is among the most shared tweets in the history of the network.
6. Pope Benedict XVI introduced a millenary institution in the social network by creating the @pontifex account, which was then taken over by his successor Francis. “Dear friends, I am happy to get in touch with you via Twitter. Thank you for your generous reactions. I bless you all with a big heart.” Benedict XVI’s tweets were later deleted.
7. The US intelligence agency launches its @cia account, with irony: “We can neither confirm nor deny that this is our first tweet”.
8. Internet user @joachimroncin launches the hashtag #JeSuisCharlie, accompanied by the logo in white letters on a black background, which will become an international slogan to show support for the victims of the attack on the weekly Charlie Hebdo.
9. American actress Alyssa Milano posts a message on her @Alyssa_Milano account inviting women victims of sexual harassment to testify: “If you have been sexually harassed or assaulted, write + me too + in response to this tweet”. Hundreds of thousands of women will report being harassed after this tweet.
10. With his @realDonaldTrump account, the former US president communicated directly with his 88 million followers, sparking controversy. On January 8, two days after the assault of the Capitol by its supporters who contested the election of Joe Biden, Twitter decided to cancel his account due to the “risk of further incitement to violence”. In his latest tweet, Trump said: “To all who have asked me, I will not attend the inauguration on January 20”.
11. On October 27, 2022, Elon Musk formalized the Twitter acquisition by posting on his account @elonmusk: “The bird is free”. The entrepreneur, who has repeatedly jumped to the headlines for his controversial tweets, presents himself as an avid defender of freedom of expression and wants to ease the moderation of content.
