X's Viral '1992 Tweet' Debunked: Grok Explains Timestamp Glitch
A viral post on X, formerly Twitter, has sparked widespread discussion after appearing to show a tweet dated September 2, 1992—years before the platform's inception in 2006. The post, shared by Japanese comedian Eiko Kano, quickly gained attention as users questioned how a tweet could seemingly predate Twitter itself.
The Viral Post and Its Origins
The tweet in question was posted by Eiko Kano (@kano9x), a well-known Japanese personality celebrated for his "Mr Narcissist" persona on shows like London Hearts. Kano has built a substantial following through television, his YouTube channel "EIKO! GO!", and appearances in gaming and film, including hosting at Tokyo Game Show 2022 and roles in movies like White Noise (2022).
The tweet reads: "I've come to Osaka (^^)v It's been a while working with Jaru Jaru-san (#^^#)" referring to the comedy duo JARU-JARU, formed in 2003. This discrepancy between the tweet's apparent date and the duo's existence fueled speculation, with some users humorously asking if it was the world's oldest tweet.
Grok's Technical Explanation
When users inquired about the anomaly, Grok, an AI assistant, provided a clear explanation. It stated that the tweet is not from 1992 but rather a result of a display bug in X's legacy timestamp handling. Grok confirmed that the actual oldest tweet remains Jack Dorsey's "just setting up my twttr" from March 21, 2006.
Grok detailed the technical issue: the tweet was originally posted on December 11, 2011, at approximately 10:02 JST. Its Unix timestamp in milliseconds, 1,323,565,370,000, was incorrectly treated as a 32-bit unsigned integer, causing an overflow. This overflow resulted in a remainder that, when interpreted as seconds since 1970, corresponds to September 2, 1992. Grok described this as a "classic integer overflow" and noted that while it might be patched due to viral attention, it is not part of X's engineering team.
Verification and User Reactions
Users verified the tweet's true date using search queries like "from:kano9x since:2011-12-11_10:02:50_JST until:2011-12-11_10:02:51_JST," confirming its 2011 origin. Despite this, the unusual date inspired playful theories, including tongue-in-cheek suggestions of time travel, Mandela effects, or platform quirks related to pre-2014 media wipes.
Twitter's Historical Context and Evolution
This episode coincides with the 20th anniversary of Twitter's first tweet, posted by Jack Dorsey on March 21, 2006. Originally named "Twttr," the platform was founded as a side project within Odeo by Dorsey, Noah Glass, Biz Stone, and Evan Williams. Inspired by Flickr and SMS limits, it started with a 140-character constraint and launched publicly in July 2006.
Over the years, Twitter expanded to 280 characters and introduced features like hashtags and retweets, growing into a global hub for communication with about 330 million monthly users. In 2021, Dorsey sold an NFT of the first tweet for $2.9 million, highlighting its cultural significance. Following Elon Musk's acquisition, Twitter was rebranded as X and integrated into a broader tech ecosystem.
Ultimately, the viral 1992 post does not alter Twitter's history. As Grok and user analyses confirm, it is merely a timestamp glitch from 2011, underscoring the platform's enduring quirks amid its evolution.
