White House pays tribute to Harambe the gorilla on 10th anniversary of his death

The White House this week marked the 10th anniversary of the death of Harambe the gorilla, a resident of the Cincinnati Zoo put down in a controversial incident that later became a popular internet meme.

On May 28, 2016, a zoo worker fatally shot the gorilla after a three-year-old boy accidentally entered the animal enclosure. Harambe had grabbed the child and violently dragged him. 

"Today, we remember a legend.

On this day in history, Harambe would have celebrated another birthday. An icon that became part of internet history, American culture, and an entire generation’s timeline," the White House posted on X on Wednesday evening.
"Tomorrow marks 10 years since we lost him. Ten years since the moment the world stopped scrolling and collectively mourned something bigger than a meme."

"He became a symbol of loyalty, strength, chaos, unity, and the strange beauty of the internet bringing millions of people together for one cause: never forgetting Harambe," the post went on.
"Everyone remembers where they were when they heard the news. And somehow, a decade later, his legacy still lives on."

Harambe's death quickly became the subject of internet controversy and evolved into a meme. The format became a mainstay of the 2016 presidential election, with many jokingly suggesting that the gorilla had blackmail on then-Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in reference to a separate meme about critics of the Clinton family turning up dead.

One popular version of the meme features Harambe in Heaven, alongside other late pop culture figures, welcoming someone into the afterlife, and frequently appears after the death of a celebrity. In that format, he often appears alongside Cheems the meme dog, George Floyd, Charlie Kirk, and others.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent for Just the News. Follow him on X.