To celebrate its fifth anniversary, the Google-owned site will launch a campaign in which users tell their personal stories of how YouTube has affected their lives, underlining its founding commitment to be a place where "anyone with a video camera and an internet connection can share a story with the world".
Five years ago Chad Hurley, the site's co-founder and chief executive, said he had pinned his hopes for YouTube on the basic premise that "everyone in the back of their mind wants to be a star".
The 'My YouTube Story' campaign will be featured on a Five Year Channel showing interactive world maps of user videos and an interactive timeline of video milestones.
Guest curators including American chat-show host Conan O'Brien will pick five of their favourite YouTube clips from the past five years.
The site has gained a billion views a day in the past seven months, indicating that its decision last year to introduce long-form content is paying off.
Click here to view YouTube's celebratory video
Some recent YouTube viral hits:
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