Athletic Network: Which Came First – Athletic Network, Facebook, or YouTube?
Which came first?
Facebook
On February 4, 2004, the Facebook site was launched by Harvard sophomore 19-year-old Mark Zuckerberg
Click here for "At Last — The Full Story Of How Facebook Was Founded"
YouTube
In February 2005, YouTube was created by three former PayPal employees, Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim.
Click here for the YouTube company history.
Athletic Network
Conceptualized by Dr. Ed Dugas and John Dugas during Thanksgiving week 2001 (a few weeks after the Nov. 2-3 2001 Shipley Reunion); the concept was expanded into a detailed outline in the Spring, 2002; approved by Dr. Ray Authement, UL President, on May 2, 2002; and became operational on August 28, 2002. Liz Landry, Director of Development at UL, became an invaluable member of the team in the early stages of development.
Click here for AN Press Conference photo gallery, August 28, 2002.
Click here for the genesis of the Athletic Network, which includes the mission statement. The 2002 statement continues to provide guidance for AN activities.
The forerunner of www.athleticnetwork.net was the Shipley Scrapbook. Mike Spears, Owner of Firefly Digital, Inc., host of the Athletic Network, designed the Shipley Scrapbook in preparation for the 2001 Shipley Reunion. It remains posted on the AN. Click here to view.
Peace, Ed Dugas
