Trending Now: The Beautiful Eruption Of Chile's Calbuco Volcano

April 23, 2015

In the 24 hours since the eruption of Chile’s Calbuco volcano yesterday, YouTube has already seen well over a thousand videos uploaded on topic with combined views in the millions. As news organizations and local residents capture video of this once-in-a-lifetime event, YouTube’s #Popular page has collected some of the most spectacular Calbuco explosion videos in this playlist:

2014: A YouTube Year in Review

December 29, 2014

This year we watched nuns turn into pop stars, soccer players become legends, dogs transform into arachnids, and millions of people around the world march in the name of social justice and political freedom.

Here’s a look back at some of the moments on YouTube that defined 2014.

JANUARY

It was a month of beginnings, as a baby polar bear took his first steps in a Toronto zoo, and an inspiring 10-year-old known as Kid President welcomed newborns into the world with a refreshing, poignant speech. Anthem of the year “Let It Go,” from Disney’s movie “Frozen,” went global, ushering in a multilingual version featuring languages from across continents - from Mandarin to Polish to Danish. And viewers around the world got their first viral fright of the year, when a possessed baby hit the NYC streets, growling and crashing into innocent passersby, as part of a clever horror film campaign.

FEBRUARY

February ushered in the Super Bowl in the cutest of ways, when a puppy and a Clydesdale horse formed an unusual bond in a Budweiser ad (enjoy responsibly). Jimmy Fallon debuted the seventh incarnation of the legendary The Tonight Show, earning his first big video hit when he and Will Smith donned overalls to honor the evolution of hip-hop moves. Most movingly, two celebrities - Ellen Page and Seth Rogen - took to the podium to speak candidly to the media, while a Ukrainian student spoke out on camera against the injustices of her home country.

MARCH

Breakout stars and memes ignited the month of March. Iggy Azalea resurrected Clueless in her hit music video “Fancy,” and a talented nun hit the stage of The Voice: Italy, stunning judges with her rendition of Alicia Keys’ “No One.” In celebration of the hit song “Happy” and the International Day of Happiness on March 20, skiers hit the Slovakian slopes to jubilantly dance along, and millions of others followed suit in their home cities. President Obama added to the fun by appearing on Zach Galifinakis’ comedy video series “Between Two Ferns,” deftly handling the show’s hysterical absurdity.

APRIL

This April Fools’ Day, viewers were treated to an inside look at YouTube’s “viral factory,” while dozens of companies joined in on the 24-hour jest with their own prank videos. Halfway through the month, millions thought they were being pranked again when a young Canadian man attempting a selfie vid near an oncoming train was drive-by kicked in the head by a conductor - until the footage was confirmed as real. The laughter continued when a video of a tiny hamster eating a tiny (homemade) burrito was uploaded, launching the first episode of the first “Tiny Hamster” series. Unfortunately, the month was also marked by one of the biggest tragic accidents of the year: the sinking of a ferry carrying nearly 500 passengers near South Korea, sparking controversy that still looms today.

MAY

When drag queen Conchita Wurst won the Eurovision Song Contest, her victory sparked so much interest that she became the 7th most popular search nationally on Google this year, and her triumphant performance was crowned the #1 televised live event of 2014 on YouTube. But not far behind were two fellow breakout stars: Ariana Grande, who serenaded the world with “Problem,” and a high schooler in New Jersey who brought back Michael Jackson’s moves at a talent show. The breakout excitement was momentarily paused by poignancy when, in honor of Mother’s Day, a card company staged job interviews over video chat for the “world’s toughest job”: being a mom.

JUNE

Sports, comebacks, and choreography epitomized the month of June: halfway-through, the FIFA World Cup commenced in Brazil, drawing millions of clicks to an unusual Nike spot: a short with all the sprightly animation of a Pixar film, while YouTube celebrated beloved LGBT athletes with the #ProudtoPlay campaign. In the music world, PSY followed up his “Gangnam” hit by collaborating with Snoop Dogg on “Hangover,” and breakout artist Meghan Trainor scored her most popular video yet: “All About That Bass.” Choreographer Yanis Marshall also achieved his biggest hit, with an all-encompassing Beyoncé dance medley (stilettos included).

JULY

July kicked off with a big win for environmental group Greenpeace: “Everything is NOT awesome” played on the theme song from The Lego Movie to spread a serious message about the effect of oil dependency on the environment - and eventually pushed the toy company to break its longtime ties with Shell (via Greenpeace.org). On the lighter side, YouTube user Benji Jenna Cowart became one of the world’s most famous overprotective dads with his cover of MAGIC!’s “Rude,” and Rhett & Link brought the LOLs with their lyrical meditation on the realities of summer vacation. But the top story of the month was the crash of the Malaysia Airlines passenger plane downed in Ukraine. The footage of the aftermath became one of the most viewed videos of the month.

AUGUST

The first week of August saw the rise of the Internet’s favorite county fair goer, a chatty Wayne County resident who was apparently born for morning news TV. The Ice Bucket Challenge was also in full swing, with everyone from Bill Gates to Charlie Sheen to Homer Simpson getting dunked for a good cause. But the month was largely clouded with sobering global and local events, including the spread of the radical group ISIS in the Middle East, covered in a comprehensive 42-minute documentary by Vice. And John Oliver hit some of his highest ratings of the year as host of the breakout series "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" with his critical look at the police shooting of an unarmed black teenager, Michael Brown, in Ferguson, MI.

SEPTEMBER

Halloween came early this year with a giant spider dog spooking out passersby in Poland - a prank video that tickled so many people’s fancies that it became the #1 top trending video of 2014. Meanwhile, the organizers behind Tomorrowland released their annual wrap-up video, showcasing highlights from one of the biggest bacchanalias of the year (and whose livestream received the most YouTube comments of any video in 2014). But it was the shocking elevator cam footage of football player Ray Rice's assault on his fiancé that became one of the most controversial stories of the year. TMZ's posting of the video early in the month resulted in the running back's termination from the Baltimore Ravens and the sparking of a nationwide conversation about domestic violence and the NFL. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, students and other civilians in Hong Kong gathered by the tens of thousands to protest new electoral reforms mandated by China.

OCTOBER

October opened on a somber note: Brittany Maynard, a terminally ill woman fighting for the right to end her own life, reached millions of people around the world with her video message advocating the broader legalization of dying with dignity. A NYC woman also used YouTube to shine a light on the pervasiveness of street harassment - inspiring hundreds of women around the world to do the same through their own videos. Meanwhile, on the Isle of Skye, acclaimed Scottish cyclist Danny Macaskill showed millions of fans what it’s like to take on the harrowing Cuillin Ridgeline with nothing more than a mountain bike, and VitalyzdTv scared the bejesus out of some unwitting strangers with “Chainsaw Massacre,” the tireless pranksters’ most popular video of the year.

NOVEMBER

After months of speculation and anticipation, the day millions of “Star Wars” fans had been waiting for finally came with the release of the trailer for “Episode VII: The Force Awakens.” Beyoncé fans were also blessed with a special treat: an intentionally low production, low concept music video for her single “7/11,” shot almost entirely in and around her hotel suite and balcony. November also saw some of the world’s biggest stars coming together to raise money to help stop the spread of Ebola, and a touching, heartbreaking serenade of a father to his newborn son.

DECEMBER

The end of a memorable year fittingly brought a range of emotions. British retailer John Lewis made millions of hearts swell as a boy’s penguin found its true partner, while YouTube celeb Connor Franta bravely embraced his true self, coming out to the world and encouraging others to not be afraid of who they are. A collective frustration following the news about Michael Brown and Eric Garner turned to action as protesters took to the streets of NYC in the Millions March. And it wouldn’t be the end of the year without a celebratory look back courtesy of YouTube Rewind, the biggest one yet.

- Bonnie Gleicher, Christine Huang, and Marc Hertz

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Footage from Tahrir on Egypt's Anniversary

January 25, 2012

Today marks one year from the start of Egypt's revolution, a time marked by demonstrations, marches, and, in some cases, clashes between citizen's and police and other security forces.

To commemorate the occasion, many Egyptians gathered once again in Tahrir Square in large numbers. You can see some of the footage -- which, like many of the events of the initial revolution, was filmed by citizens and other bystanders -- at CitizenTube or in the playlist below:

(Use the arrows to navigate between videos or watch them all here.)

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New Dazzling Videos of the Northern Lights

For amateur and professional photographers and videographers living at high latitudes, the aurora boralis, aka the Northern Lights, are popular subject matter... when they appear, that is. This week, the lights, which are normally visible in areas close to the arctic circle, were seen as far south as Scotland and England.

This kind of visibility is said to only occur once every 11 years:

In the past, these sightings have generally caused a surge in uploads. Below you can see some of the numerous videos posted by those who were lucky enough to witness the phenomenon this week.

(Use the arrows to navigate between videos or watch them all here.)

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On the Scene Footage: Mt Etna Erupts

January 05, 2012

Italy's Mount Etna, which is in Sicily and is Europe's highest active volcano, is erupting once again, and numerous videos are being posted from nearby the volcano.

(Use the arrows to navigate between videos or watch them all here.)

There were several occasions last year where footage of the Etna volcano was seen trending on YouTube.

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Top Rising Search: 'Occupy Australia'

December 07, 2011

"Occupy" protests, which arguably began with Occupy Wall Street in NYC in September, have spread throughout the world, and this week there's increased attention in the Australian iteration that's playing out in Melbourne.

On Monday, this clip of the "Tent monsters" evading police drew over 100,000 views with its protester shenanigans.

Today, this clip, which shows Australian officers removing the tent from a protester -- leaving her in minimal clothes -- has become a trending video and the term "Occupy Australia" was a top rising search this afternoon. (Adult language.)

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Wildest Videos from Black Friday

November 28, 2011

As you may or may not have heard, things got a little dicey at some U.S. retailers on Friday as excited hordes of shoppers sought out big bargains on the busiest shopping day of the year. A number of heavily viewed videos emerged from the post-Thanksgiving chaos and made their way around the web.

This clip of a crowd rushing into an Urban Outfitters in California was seen over 600,000 times.

Meanwhile, this mayhem at a California Wal-Mart is said to have been shot moments after a woman reportedly used pepper-spray on the crowd as they devoured a pile of XBoxes. It's been seen several hundred thousand times.

At another Wal-Mart, this time in Texas, there were concerns about people getting crushed in the melee:

A much talked-about video from Arizona also spread that show's a man who was injured during an arrest (Warning: Adult language and content).

These are just a few of the crazy crowds captured on video this weekend.

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Most-Viewed: Incident at UC-Davis

November 21, 2011

Some of the weekend's most-viewed videos came from the University of California at Davis where protesting students were involved in an incident with police officers wielding pepper spray.

Here's one of the most-shared of clips from the event, which has been seen over one million times in the past few days:

Another video, also with several hundred thousand views, captured the incident from an opposite angle.

Then, on Sunday, this video of students' silent protest as Chancellor Linda Katehi walked from her office became a top trending video:

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On the Scene: Arrests on Wall Street

November 17, 2011

On the 2 month anniversary of the Occupy Wall Street movement, 200 demonstrators were reportedly arrested. We're seeing lots of video coming from the events in New York City and CitizenTube has been collecting that footage into this playlist:

(Use the arrows to navigate between videos or watch them all here.)

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Rising Search: 'Zuccotti Park'

November 15, 2011

NYPD officers reportedly "raided" Zuccotti park in downtown New York City early Tuesday morning and we're seeing a rise in interest in the area on YouTube this morning as searches for its name are spiking. The park was home to the original "Occupy Wall Street" encampment.

Citizentube has collected a series of videos from the confrontation between officers and protesters as NYPD approached and cleared the area.

(Use the arrows to navigate between videos or watch them all here.)

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On the Scene: 'Occupy' Portland, Oakland

November 14, 2011

YouTube continues to see footage uploaded from various "Occupy Wall Street"-related protests around the United States and around the world. Over 20,000 videos tagged "occupy" have been uploaded in the past month, and though not all of them were related to this movement, many were, including a batch of new videos from the west coast, a few samples of which are available below:

The Oregonian created this video capturing the scene in Portland on November 13 as law enforcement encountered large crowds:

This video, which is captured from the perspective of the protesters, depicts a dramatic confrontation between police and demonstrators over the weekend:

(Another video showing the scene last night here.)

This morning, police reportedly raided the camp in Oakland and took down tents, some of which had been there for weeks. We're starting to see a number of videos coming in from the area. Here's some arial footage of the action:

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Intensity, Drama Continue in Newest 'Occupy' Videos

November 07, 2011

There was more activity on YouTube this weekend around videos from the "Occupy Wall Street" protests and related demonstrations in the United States.

Perhaps the most intense recent video was filmed mid-last week, but was posted Saturday, depicting a lone photographer apparently shot directly with a rubber bullet by an Oakland officer. The video began spreading in earnest Sunday when it was posted on social bookmarking site Reddit.

Warning: Adult Language.

Meanwhile, a number of videos were posted this weekend from the "Occupy" protests in Atlanta, Georgia, including this video which purports to show demonstrators getting physical with a motorcycled police officer:

But not all the videos coming from Wall Street have been quite as dramatic. Another popular video from the weekend -- it's been viewed over 200,000 times shows the confrontation between a police horse and a tiny dog that goes a little differently...

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On-the-Scene: Intense Confrontations at Occupy Protests

November 03, 2011

WARNING: Adult Language

"Occupy" protests in Denver and Oakland this week resulted in dramatic confrontations which were captured on video and posted to YouTube yesterday.

In a chaotic moment getting a lot of press, two "Occupy Oakland" protesters were reportedly injured when they were hit by a Mercedes in the street last night. The video below depicts the scene following the incident as police responded and protesters confronted the driver:

Meanwhile, video was posted of a clash between protesters and police in Denver Friday, during which officers were said to have used pepper-spray to disperse demonstrators. (Adjust your volume.)

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On-the-Scene: Tear Gas at Occupy Oakland

October 26, 2011

A number of on-the-scene videos are spreading tonight/early this morning that depict tear gas being fired by police to disperse hundreds of "Occupy" protesters in Oakland, California. Over 100 people were reportedly arrested.

We've pulled together a playlist of initial videos being shared from this incident:

(Use the arrows to navigate between videos or watch them all here.)

(Update Wednesday Afternoon: More video is circulating from the events of last evening, including this clip which claims to show a veteran injured by a rubber bullet.)

Early this morning, dozens of people were arrested when police officers evicted protesters from Frank Ogawa Plaza and dismantled their encampment.

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On the Scene Footage: Earthquake in Turkey

October 24, 2011

According to reports, over 250 people have been killed by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that rocked the town of Van, Turkey over the weekend.

Numerous videos shot by bystanders and local news organizations have been posted to YouTube capturing the disaster and its aftermath. We've collected some of these in the playlist below:

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Video, Reaction in Libya Around Gadhafi News

October 20, 2011

"Gaddafi" was a top rising search on YouTube this morning and many of the other top terms relate to the reported news of former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's death.

Al Jazeera has posted graphic video claimed to be of Gadhafi's body, while another unverified video appears to show Gadhafi while he was still alive. Please use discretion.

Much of the reaction footage we're seeing early today is coming via professional news sources:

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Footage from Occupy Protests This Weekend U.S. and Abroad

October 17, 2011

More dramatic videos were posted and shared this weekend from the Occupy Wall Street movement and its various large scale demonstrations over the weekend. Noteably, New York protesters took to Times Square where a big crowd was captured on video:

Among the other videos from New York drawing attention today are the arrests made at a NYC Citibank as well as video of a man identified as a 24-year-old Marine Corps Sergeant addressing police officers in Time Square.

But perhaps the protest story of the weekend were the demonstrations that took place outside of New York and sometimes outside of the United States. Here is a selection:

MADRID: Widely seen video from Puerta del Sol	ROME: Protesting turned to rioting in some places

CHICAGO: March down Michigan Ave	WASHINGTON: Footage of Cornell West being arrested

LONDON: Julian Assange spotted in the crowd	SYDNEY: Interview with an "Occupy" protester in Sydney

More video of the weekend's events can be found at CitizenTube.

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Occupy Wall Street Videos: SF, NYC

October 13, 2011

In the U.S., "Occupy Wall Street" has among the top Youtube rising searches in the past week and each day we continue to see groups of videos posted from demonstrations which have now extended to other cities outside of New York. Roughly 10,000 videos tagged "occupy wall street" have been posted in the past week.

Last night, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg was captured on video making an appearance at the protest site, reportedly to inform protesters that the area was due for a cleaning. This is one of the videos posted of his visit:

Yesterday, video was posted of a demonstration in downtown San Francisco at a Wells Fargo Bank. In this clip, some of the protesters can be seen being placed under arrest. Meanwhile, the footage below, which purports to show a confrontation between San Francisco police and protesters last week, has now become one of the most-viewed videos in the area.

Warning: Adult Language!

Another video that's drawing attention today is a humorous, undercover video filmed by James O'Keefe's Project Veritas (As seen on Gawker).

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On the Scene Footage from 'Occupy Boston'

October 11, 2011

The Occupy Wall Street moment has spread to other cities around the United States in recent days. Notably, 100 people were reportedly arrested last evening during a demonstration in Boston, Massachusetts. There are conflicting reports about the severity of the confrontation between police and protestors, but numerous bystanders have posted videos depicting events.

(Use the arrows to navigate between videos or watch them all here.)

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Celebrities Appear in Videos from Occupy Wall Street Movement

October 10, 2011

A number of recent videos have been making the rounds of celebrities speaking and giving interviews at the occupy Wall Street protests in New York City this month. Susan Sarandon, Talib Kweli, Roseanne Barr, and others have been spotted and filmed by those admits the crowd in the past week or two.

Today there's even a video spreading of Danny Glover at a sister-rally in Los Angeles. Check out the playlist below for his remarks and for videos of others that have been posted to YouTube:

(Use the arrows to navigate between videos or watch them all here.)

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