Over the years, we've had a lot of meme formats appear and disappear. Most fade into relative obscurity fairly quickly, but some of them have been around so long they've become recurring themes in our broken senses of humor that we share online. And some of them come from pretty interesting backgrounds, too, though most of us wouldn't know it at first glance. We've spent years studying the history of these memes so you don't have to, and we've gathered some of the best backstories of popular memes to share with you today.

Now, you can learn some strange trivia facts that will change the way you look at all your favorite meme formats. All of these memes evolved into viral jokes through any combination of pausing a TV show at the right moment or annoying a fanbase a little too much, and each of them has a very unique story worth remembering the next time you laugh at one of these memes. So, let's dive into some of the most iconic memes with great backstories.