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2005 CE Turn of the millennium Technology

Reddit Is Founded

Steve Huffman and Alexis Ohanian launched Reddit in June 2005 with funding from Y Combinator's first batch.

Setting the scene

Early sockpuppet accounts seeded links until organic growth kicked in; karma gamified contribution without paying writers.

What happened

Volunteer moderators wield outsized power over visibility, creating recurring CEO apologies and API-pricing protests.

Why it still matters

The site influenced everything from GameStop short squeezes to scientific AMAs with astronauts. Memorable detail: Snoo, the alien mascot, predates many modern flat-design mascots.

Background

Reddit became a bellwether for niche communities, moderation burnout, and content-policy fights at internet scale.

Sources

ChronoFive is a free daily history game — guess the year for five real events, then read the story behind each one.

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