14 of the Most Iconic Memes Of All-Time

Nobody plans to stumble into internet immortality, yet some people (and pets) find themselves there through pure chance. A candid expression, a poorly lit video, or an out-of-context screenshot can suddenly ignite across the web, turning ordinary moments into “memes.” What makes them unforgettable isn’t just how often we saw them. It’s the way they captured a moment that transcended borders. They didn’t need celebrity status or polished production. All it took was timing, relatability, and just enough weirdness to spark a digital wildfire. What follows is a celebration of those unpredictable viral hits. The ones that linger in group chats, resurface in political discourse, and remind us how strangely powerful a meme can be.

Revenue generation meets internet culture in the form of Tardar Sauce, better known as Grumpy Cat. This feline phenomenon became the first meme to generate nearly $100 million through merchandise and endorsements. The 2012 Reddit post exploded with over 1 million views in just 48 hours.

It all started as a 4chan bait-and-switch prank in 2007. "Never Gonna Give You Up" has accumulated more than 1.5 billion YouTube views, thanks to unsuspecting victims getting rickrolled by Rick Astley. However, the ultimate rickroll moment came at the 2008 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Born in "Boy's Club" with the simple catchphrase "feels good, man," Pepe eventually became so problematic that Furie declared him dead in 2017, complete with a funeral comic. Despite the controversy, the character has appeared in major art galleries and commanded $500,000 as an NFT.

Japanese kindergarten teacher Atsuko Sato had no idea her 2010 photo of Kabosu would spawn a cryptocurrency revolution. The Shiba Inu's iconic expression inspired Dogecoin, which reached a market cap of $80 billion. Kabosu still lives in Japan, while Elon Musk's tweets about her likeness cause massive fluctuations.

This meme is all about time travel, with the original video filmed in 1984. Fatso the cat passed away in 1987, long before achieving internet immortality through his keyboard performance. The footage increasingly became the internet's go-to "play off" music for countless YouTube videos and parodies.

Let's talk about 2020's unofficial mascot during unprecedented global chaos. Initially named "Question Hound" in the "Gunshow" comic series, the character perfectly captured the collective feelings of helplessness amid crisis. Major news outlets and politicians referenced the burning room scenario during the pandemic and political turmoil.

Two completely unrelated images gave us internet magic. Taylor Armstrong's emotional breakdown from reality television paired decently with Smudge the cat's refusal to eat vegetables at the dinner table. The meme format has been used to explain everything from historical events to personal relationships.

Cats speaking broken English became the first major money-making machine through sheer adorable absurdity. Weekly "Caturday" celebrations on 4chan in 2005 kick-started this feline activity before I Can Has Cheezburger launched in January 2007. The site experienced a surge in daily hits, reaching 1.5 million.

A catchy J-pop in this hypnotic rainbow-trailing phenomenon has mesmerized viewers for over 185 million YouTube plays since 2011. The accompanying soundtrack, "Nyanyanyanyanyanyanya!," began as a Japanese pop song before becoming permanently linked to pixelated feline flight. In 2021, the animation sold as an NFT for $590,000.

Wanna see Paul "Bear" Vasquez's spontaneous reaction to nature's amazing display at Yosemite National Park? Here you go. His emotional response to witnessing a double rainbow became an instant classic. It launched him to celebrity status, and even though he passed away in 2020, this meme is unforgettable.

Before YouTube existed, a 3D animated infant danced its way into internet history as 1996's first viral sensation. The baby gained recognition through appearances on "Ally McBeal" as a recurring hallucination sequence. Email chains spread the 3D model file across dial-up connections, requiring several hours to download completely.

Wearing his brother's ill-fitting vest and sweater crafted the ultimate storm of adolescent awkwardness that resonated with millions. The original post received over 7,000 upvotes within hours, catapulting Kyle Craven to unexpected fame. He accepted this meme status wholeheartedly, even appearing in television commercials.

Mischief found its perfect mascot in a crudely drawn grin that required nothing more than MS Paint and wicked imagination. Dedicated "rage maker" websites emerged where users crafted elaborate stories using this iconic face alongside other rage characters. It was first featured in a 2012 YouTube video.

May 28, 2016, marked a tragic day at the Cincinnati Zoo that unexpectedly sparked serious conversations about animal rights and zoo safety. The gorilla's demise generated thousands of write-in votes during the 2016 presidential election, proving that memes can influence political discourse. Rallying cries confused mainstream media.