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Library/Meme & format/Storm Area 51
Grade A25 sourcesHIS-01478

Storm Area 51

Meme & format · 2019 · Notable

57Editable slideCertificate

A joke Facebook raid drew 2 million RSVPs and became a Nevada festival weekend.

Clip · Lil Nas X on YouTube
Storm Area 51 | Know Your Meme
Know Your Meme
The main stage of the Alienstock 2019 Music Festival
David James Henry / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
US-LIFESTYLE-TOWN
TIME
Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus, Young Thug, & Mason Ramsey – Old Town Road (Area 51 Video)
Lil Nas X on YouTube
Arby's is Bringing a Top-Secret Menu to the Area 51 Raid
Inspire Brands
Facebook Page Created As Joke To "Storm Area 51" Becomes Viral Sensation
TIME
Alienstock-Festival
TIME
Bud Light is offering free beer to any alien that makes it out of Area 51 | CNN
CNN

Spread Score

How it works
Reach68ContagionNo data yetBreadth80Velocity43Longevity1757

Numbers

Observed peak date
Week of Sep 22, 2019
Jun 27 ’19 to Week of Sep 22, 2019
Platforms
8
Started on Facebook
Origin
Organic
Culture (no sector)

Mechanics

  • Response chainPrimary
  • Platform jump
  • Press loop
  • Real-world spectacle
  • Controversy

How it spread

Trace the origin

Roberts posted a joke Facebook raid; memes, celebrity posts, a music video and brands followed. Wikipedia's seven-day peak ended September 22. About 75 people gathered at a gate on raid morning; Rachel's festival peaked at 3,000.

Observed peak within the documented measurement window; not an all-time maximum. Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.

Wikipedia views · Google searchesMar ’19JunAugSepOctDec ’20Feb ’22Apr ’23Jun ’24Aug ’25OctObserved peakFacebookRedditPressXTikTokYouTubeTVOpen web
FacebookRedditPressXTikTokYouTubeTVOpen web

13 more events on this chart

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Timeline (16)

  1. June 2019

    Matty Roberts seed · Jun 27 ’19

    Roberts created a joke Facebook event to raid Area 51 on September 20.[1][2]

    Open the first post ↗

  2. July 2019

    r/OutOfTheLoop users platform jump · Jul 2019

    Reddit users circulated Area 51 memes and asked about the planned raid.[3]

    Storm Area 51 | Know Your Meme

  3. ABC News press · Jul 12 ’19

    ABC News reported 496,000 users marked the Facebook event as going.[4]

  1. platform jump · Jul 15 ’19

  2. platform jump · Jul 15 ’19

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Why it worked

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Origin
Organic
Sector
Culture (no sector)
Region
US
Reported figure
—
Evidence
Grade A

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