LOLcats
icanhascheezburger.com
A heady mixture of cute cat pictures, anthropomorphised with badly spelled captions written in an innocent kitten-like tone, which has spawned a sub-language, LOLspk. The most popular website, I Can Has Cheezburger, now gets more than 2m hits a day.
Dancing hamsters
webhamster.com
One of the earliest memes to hit the web, featuring crude animated hamsters dancing to an irritating yet catchy dance music soundtrack.
Cats that look like Hitler
catsthatlooklikehitler.com
Every cat has distinctive markings, but a surprising number seem to have a small black moustache reminiscent of the Nazi dictator. This website is where images of such beloved pets are shared.
Sneezing panda
youtube.com/watch?v=FzRH3iTQPrk
A 20-second webclip which took offices around the world by storm last year. It is impossible not to be charmed when a baby panda sneezes - taking its mother by surprise.
I Kiss You
ikissyou.org
Mahir Cagri, a Turkish photographer, became a phenomenon after his over-enthusiastic homepage - featuring the slogan "I Kiss You!!!!!" - was seen around the world. Said by some to be the template for Borat, though Sacha Baron Cohen's comic character was invented several years earlier.
Chuck Norris facts
chucknorrisfacts.com
Bizarre one-liners describing the toughness of the martial arts film star. "When Chuck Norris does a pushup, he isn't lifting himself up, he's pushing the Earth down," reads one.
Laughing babies
youtube.com/watch?v=5P6UU6m3cqk
Thousands of family videos detail the cacophanous laughter of easily amused infants. It's impossible to remain stony-faced while watching their infectious giggles, and these clips now pepper YouTube.
Million Dollar Homepage
milliondollarhomepage.com
British student Alex Tew came up with an ingenious plan to sell every pixel on his website for $1. Drawn by the novelty and hope of publicity, advertisers flocked to the scheme and made him rich.
Star Wars kid
youtube.com/watch?v=HPPj6viIBmU
A video of a young Canadian boy pretending to battle the dark side with a stick instead of a lightsabre. It is said to be the most popular viral video of all time, but the reluctant star sued his schoolmates for the harassment he endured as a result.
Stuff White People Like
stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com
A sizzling parody of middle-class liberal values, detailing the cliches of modern life. Nothing is too mundane for the author's witty deconstruction: popular entries include expensive sandwiches and dinner parties
