4chan Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
4chan

Homepage on July 6, 2022
Type of site	Imageboard
Available in	English
Owner	Hiroyuki Nishimura
Created by	Christopher Poole
Commercial	Yes
Registration	None available (except for staff)
Launched	October 1, 2003; 21 years ago (2003-10-01)

4chan is a popular English-language website where people share and discuss pictures. It is known as an imageboard, which is like a message board but focused on images. The site was started in 2003 by a 15-year-old named Christopher Poole, who was known online as "moot."

When 4chan first began, it was mainly a place for fans to talk about anime and manga (Japanese cartoons and comics). Over time, it grew to include many other topics. Users post pictures and then discuss them with others.

One of the most well-known parts of 4chan is a section called "/b/". This board is for discussing all sorts of random topics. It has often been mentioned in the news because of its unique and sometimes unpredictable content.

4chan has also been the starting point for many famous things on the Internet called Internet memes. These are funny pictures, videos, or ideas that spread quickly online. Two famous examples that started on 4chan are lolcats (pictures of cats with funny captions) and rickrolling (a prank where someone is tricked into watching the music video for Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up").

While 4chan is a place for many different discussions, some parts of the site have been linked to controversial ideas. This is because users can post almost anything, and some discussions can become extreme.

How 4chan Started
- The Founder and Owner
Famous Internet Memes
Images for kids
See also

How 4chan Started

4chan was created on October 1, 2003. Its founder, Christopher Poole, was just 15 years old at the time. He was inspired by a similar Japanese website called Futaba Channel. Futaba Channel was also an imageboard where people shared pictures and talked about them.

Poole wanted to create an English version of this type of site. He aimed to make a place where people could discuss Japanese pop culture, like anime and manga. The site quickly became popular, especially among young people interested in these topics.

The Founder and Owner

Christopher Poole, known as "moot," ran 4chan for many years. He was the main person in charge of the website. In 2015, Poole decided to step down. He sold 4chan to Hiroyuki Nishimura.

Hiroyuki Nishimura is a well-known figure in the Internet world. He is the founder of another very famous Japanese website called 2channel. This means that 4chan is now owned by someone who created a similar and very influential site in Japan.

Famous Internet Memes

4chan is famous for being the birthplace of many Internet memes. These memes are often funny images or phrases that go viral. They spread quickly across the Internet, appearing on social media, other websites, and even in everyday conversations.

One of the earliest and most popular memes from 4chan was lolcats. These are pictures of cats with funny, often misspelled, captions. The captions usually describe what the cat might be thinking or doing.

Another huge meme that started on 4chan is rickrolling. This is a prank where someone sends you a link that you think is for something else. But when you click it, you are taken to the music video for Rick Astley's song "Never Gonna Give You Up." It became a very popular and harmless joke.

Many other Internet trends and jokes have come from 4chan. The site's anonymous nature means that many users can contribute ideas freely. This makes it a creative space for new online humor and trends to begin.