Toddler from iconic 'success kid' meme is unrecognisable as he turns 20 years old
The boy who became a world famous meme has changed a huge amount in the years since he became a staple of the internet.
Sammy Griner is from Jacksonville in Florida is known to millions around the world as the 'Success Kid' in the meme.
His mum took the photo when he was just 11 months old, inadvertently sending him to viral fame on the internet as the picture became popular as the widely used meme.
The 'Success Kid' meme sees Sammy on a beach as a baby wearing a white and green top.
Advert
He is clutching some sand in his fist and looking at the camera with a satisfied and slightly defiant expression on his face
The meme is frequently used by people to indicate something has been successful, as the name suggests, with Sammy's pose and expression making it looking like he is pumping his fist in celebration.
Well, in the biggest piece of news that will make millennials feel old since Macaulay Culkin from Home Alone turned 40, Sammy is now 18 years old.
Yes, the baby in the Success Kid meme is now an adult.
A recent picture of Sammy was shared on social media showing how much he has grown in the intervening 17 years, revealing a teen with long brown and wavy hair, as well as even starting to sport some facial hair as he smiles.
And while he has certainly changed a lot, he is still definitely recognisable as the child sitting on the beach 17 years ago.
The original picture was shared to social media by his mum Lacey, showing her sun with a handful of sand in the image shared to her Flickr account.
Her original caption before the photo was re-contextualised into the Success Kid meme was 'I hate Sandcastles'.
People use it when they have big and small wins in their lives, whether it's some larger like securing a promotion, someone saying yes to going on a date, or unexpectedly finding a tenner in your jacket pocket.
The image was originally shared back in 2007, and has become one of the most well known memes on the internet.
Sammy's hair has gotten darker since the meme picture, but it is definitely him.
Another picture taken when he was 10 years old shows him holding up a hand painted version of the meme while recreating the pose he made when he was just 11 months old.
Sammy and his parents also took part in a Buzzfeed YouTube video where they spoe about his viral fame.
His father Justin also needed surgery for a kidney transplant, and the family stated a GoFundMe to raise the funds.
Laney told ABC: “There’s so much positivity. There’s not a single thing we regret about Success Kid. It’s pretty crazy how it all happened. I still can’t wrap my head around it.”
Topics: Celebrity, Social Media, News
Kit Roberts