Trying to pinpoint the earliest internet meme is like trying to discern the first written word, or the first time someone sliced a loaf of bread; a futile effort, but one that unearths fascinating ...

The said meme, which is a format-dependent joke, usually of a picture with a subtitle or caption, had a printed date of 1919 and 1920, but it was believed to have been published in 1921. The meme had ...