Memes are units of social information that can be transmitted from person to person through ideas or beliefs, similar to how genes are transmitted biologically. The LOLcat meme originated from image macros on forums and imageboards in the early 2000s, gaining popularity through sites like SomethingAwful, Fark, and 4chan sharing funny pictures of cats with misspelled text. By the mid-2000s, the LOLcat meme had fully emerged and was spreading widely on the internet, incorporating previous meme phrases and humor while popularizing the LOLspeak slang language.

6. Image macros predating LOLcats:

7. “ Fail” is a popular meme with image macros. Memes are remixed.

8. Another popular internet meme is the motivational poster

9. Funny cat pictures have been around since cameras were first invented

10. This cat meme first appeared in 2002

11. 2003 “happy cat” and “stalker cat” first appear on the internet without text

13. Examples of early LOLcats

14. More examples of early LOLcats

19. The internet’s remix culture at work

21. Memes can break free of the internet