It has been 20 years since Jack Dorsey, co-founder of what is now X, posted “just setting up my twttr,” the first message on what would become Twitter. Considered the platform’s very first tweet, it represents the origin of a service that would grow into a global hub for communication, news, and public conversation.Recently, however, a post has gone viral as a surprising “contender,” showing a date of September 2, 1992, prompting widespread discussion about how a tweet could seemingly predate the platform itself.The post was shared by Eiko Kano (@kano9x), a prominent Japanese comedian, singer and gaming personality. Known for his self-deprecating “Mr Narcissist” persona, particularly on shows like London Hearts, Kano has built a wide following through television, his YouTube channel “EIKO! GO!”, and his variety show appearances, often centred around what fans describe as his “miracle” antics.He has also extended his presence into gaming and film, hosting specials at the Tokyo Game Show 2022 and appearing in films including White Noise (2022).The tweet itself reads:“I’ve come to Osaka (^^)v It’s been a while working with Jaru Jaru-san (#^^#)”He was referring to JARU-JARU, a well-known Japanese comedy duo formed in 2003, long after the date the tweet appeared to carry. Known for their surreal and prolific sketches, they have appeared widely on Japanese television and toured internationally, including performances in England and France.
“Is this the world’s oldest tweet?”
As the post circulated, one user directly asked Grok:“Hey @grok sanIs it okay to say that the world’s oldest tweet is this one by Kano Eikou? If there’s anything older than this, let me know.”Grok replied:“Nah, it’s just an X display glitch showing the date as September 2, 1992 lolThe actual oldest tweet is Jack Dorsey’s “just setting up my twttr” (ID: 20, March 21, 2006). There’s nothing older than that!”It went further, explaining the bug:“It’s a display bug in X’s legacy timestamp handling. The tweet was actually posted Dec 11, 2011 (~10:02 JST). Its Unix ms timestamp (1,323,565,370,000) got treated as a 32-bit unsigned int, overflowing: mod 2^32 = 715,442,832. Interpreted as seconds since 1970-01-01, that equals Sep 2, 1992. Classic integer overflow! ”When asked whether the issue would be fixed, Grok added:“I’m not part of X’s engineering team, so I can’t say for sure when or if they’ll patch this specific timestamp display glitch (it’s from snowflake ID decoding wrapping to 1992 on that 2011 tweet). With the viral attention today, it might get looked at soon though. Classic platform quirk! ”
What’s actually going on
Alongside the viral spread, users began sharing a more detailed breakdown of the issue. According to that explanation, the tweet was originally posted on December 11, 2011, at around 10:02:50 JST, something that can still be verified using search queries such as:“from:kano9x since:2011-12-11_10:02:50_JST until:2011-12-11_10:02:51_JST”The explanation continues:The Unix timestamp in milliseconds was “1323565370000”This value was treated as a 32-bit unsigned integerIt overflowed:1323565370000 mod 2^32 = 715442832That remainder, interpreted as seconds since 1970, becomes:September 2, 1992, 23:07:12 (JST)Despite the technical explanation, the unusual date has sparked a wave of more playful interpretations. So-called “time travel” theories have circulated as a tongue-in-cheek response, with some users suggesting the tweet had travelled back in time or pointing to broader platform quirks, such as pre-2014 media wipes, some even claim it’s a Mandela effect or Elon messing with timelines.
The longer history behind it
The episode has also renewed attention on the platform’s origins. Just three days ago marked 20 years since the very first tweet on X, formerly Twitter, which now has roughly 330 million users posting each month.Initially named “Twttr,” the project was inspired by Flickr and the five-character limit of American SMS codes. Twitter was founded in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey, Noah Glass, Biz Stone, and Evan Williams as a side project within the podcasting company Odeo. The idea originated during a brainstorming session about an SMS-based, real-time social networking platform that would allow users to share short status updates with friends in real time.By March 2006, a working prototype of Twttr was operational. Several alternative names were considered, including the now-infamous “FriendStalker,” but the team ultimately settled on Twitter. On 21 March 2006, Jack Dorsey, using the handle @jack, posted:“just setting up my twttr”This message, tweet ID 20, remains the first ever in the platform’s history, a modest beginning that would later grow into a global phenomenon. The service initially imposed a 140-character limit, reflecting its SMS roots and forcing users to communicate in short, precise bursts.The platform was publicly launched in July 2006, giving users the ability to post and follow others’ updates. A more completed version of the platform was showcased in March 2007 at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. Shortly after, Twitter, Inc. was formally incorporated, following a sudden surge of interest and investment that helped solidify its early growth.Over the years, Twitter evolved rapidly. The character limit was eventually expanded to 280, and the platform added a wide range of features, including trending topics, hashtags, replies, retweets, and media integration. It grew from a simple status-sharing service into one of the most influential global platforms for news, public discourse, and communication, used by celebrities, companies, journalists, and ordinary users alike.
A tweet worth millions
The first tweet itself has taken on a life of its own. In 2021, Jack Dorsey sold an NFT version of it for $2.9 million to crypto entrepreneur Sina Estavi.“This is not just a tweet!” Estavi wrote at the time. “I think years later people will realise the true value of this tweet, like the Mona Lisa painting.”The sale, conducted via the platform Valuables owned by Cent, included a digitally signed certificate and metadata, even as the tweet itself remained publicly visible.Since then, the platform has undergone significant changes. Following its acquisition by Elon Musk, Twitter was rebranded as X and integrated into a broader ecosystem tied to xAI and SpaceX. It continues to hold influence, particularly among tech and media communities, while facing competition from newer platforms like Bluesky and Meta’s Threads.For all the speculation, the viral 1992 post does not rewrite the platform’s history. As both user analysis and Grok’s responses make clear, the tweet remains a product of 2011, only displayed differently due to a timestamp issue.
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