Grumpy Cat: The Internet's First Meme Icon

In 2012, a small cat in Arizona named Tardar Sauce was born with a unique jaw and facial structure that gave her a permanently unimpressed look. Her owners posted a photo to Reddit, where it racked up millions of views within days. From there, the little cat earned a global name — Grumpy Cat. Books, coffee blends, a Hollywood movie — she even made the cover of The New York Times. She proved something important about the internet age: a single expression can become a language shared by the whole world. When Tardar passed away from a urinary tract infection in 2019, her face lived on in countless memes and emoji — a soft, lasting home for the world's 'meh'.