Life as told
A biography in two timelines: when things happened and when the brothers chose to tell them — and which private experiences they told right next to a point they were making.
Built from 8,242 life-event statements (a speaker telling about their own life or family; 7,954 by the brothers, the rest by guests and family) in 2,087 of 2,523 videos, and 526 story threads that follow one happening across videos (259 of them told in two or more videos). Only sincere statements are listed as biography; 2,153 playful or joking life details by the brothers are counted but left out.
Dates are upload dates, which set the order. Where the speaker gives a different recording date in the video, it is added as "said on YYYY-MM-DD, implied" (derived from the date said in the video).
Pages
- John's life as told and Hank's life as told — each brother's own story, year by year, in the order he told it.
- Stories told more than once — 259 stories with every telling, and the point each telling is used for.
- Backstory — 587 things told after the fact, ordered by when they happened (childhood, school, college, earlier years).
- Life as argument — 1876 personal experiences told right next to a point being argued.
- Health and how they are doing — 490 self-reports of illness, pain, anxiety, stress and fatigue.
Told years later
Stories that come back two or more calendar years after they were first told: the first and the latest telling.
- Hank: living with ulcerative colitis (2007) — 29 videos over 19 years
- first, 2007-03-02: Hank announces that he has been living with ulcerative colitis. — Brotherhood 2.0: March 2nd: Politics and Butt Explosions 00:01:04
- latest, 2026-04-07: John notes Hank has always had to destigmatize pooping somewhat because he has ulcerative colitis. — I've Been Pooping All Wrong 00:01:56
- John's orbital cellulitis and hospital stay (2007) — 16 videos over 19 years
- first, 2007-03-26: Hank hopes John is feeling better, as he last heard, and the video ends with wishes that John's eyeball gets better. — March 26th: Stuff on Everyone's Heads! 00:00:10
- latest, 2026-02-14: John recalls that when he was ill in March 2007, about 270 viewers sent pictures with stuff on their heads to cheer him up, the first moment he and Hank thought of doing more with the community. — Project for Awesome 2026 part 4! 00:08:24
- YouTube makes the Vlogbrothers YouTube partners (2007) — 4 videos over 19 years
- first, 2007-08-15: Hank announces that YouTube has made the brothers partners and that he and John will sit in on an orientation session. — August 15: Getting Featured on YouTube 00:02:59
- latest, 2026-03-03: In 2007 YouTube told the brothers it would share ad revenue with creators; John wrote down the math on an envelope as they explained it. — The Best Fan Mail I Ever Received 00:01:34
- Hank shows Dad's home video of eight-year-old John at the Orange County Young Authors Award (2007) — 4 videos over 19 years; happened 1987 (as told)
- first, 2007-11-02: Hank shows their dad's home video of eight-year-old John at the Orange County Young Authors Award conference and calls a girl's compliment the moment John became a writer. — November 2nd: John Green at the Young Author's Award 00:00:43
- latest, 2026-03-03: In third grade John wrote a story about death, It Just Isn't Fair, and won the Audubon Park Young Author Award for 1986. — The Best Fan Mail I Ever Received 00:05:03
- John and the Yeti get a puppy, Willy (2008) — 4 videos over 18 years
- first, 2008-05-18: John introduces the puppy he and the Yeti got, Willy (full name Fireball Wilson Roberts), who takes constant attention and kept John from making videos. — A CUTETACULAR INTRODUCTION! 00:00:46
- latest, 2026-02-15: John's first dog, Willy, Fireball Wilson Roberts Green, came from Kokomo: a couple in the armed forces who were both deployed needed a good home for him; John misses him, though Willy was not actually a great dog. — Project for Awesome 2026 part 5! 02:43:13
- John's Steak 'n Shake graveyard shift versus his lower-paid Booklist job after college (2008) — 5 videos over 18 years
- first, 2008-07-08 (said on 2008-07-07, implied): Before becoming an author, John worked for most of his post-college life at Booklist magazine, and also as a children's hospital chaplain and on a Steak 'n Shake graveyard shift. — Hank Tried to Kill Me With a Hammer 00:00:43
- latest, 2026-02-15: John's first technical job was working for Congresswoman Corrine Brown, later ousted for corruption; his first real job was the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. graveyard shift at Steak 'n Shake, and his second was at Outtakes, a 50s Hollywood-themed restaurant in Alabama. — Project for Awesome 2026 part 5! 02:50:53
- John's Paper Towns wins the Edgar Award (2009) — 3 videos over 17 years
- first, 2009-05-04 (said on 2009-05-03, implied): John tells Hank that on Thursday night (30 April 2009) Paper Towns won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America, so he now owns a bust of Poe. — Oinkbarf Pandemic! An Intellectual Response to Swine Flu 00:00:27
- latest, 2026-02-13: John notes that Paper Towns won an Edgar Award. — Project for Awesome 2026 Kickoff! 03:07:36
- The brothers reunite at a family reunion in the Dominican Republic (2007) — 6 videos over 16 years
- first, 2007-06-11: Hank and John appear together on a beach in the Dominican Republic at a family reunion; Katherine is missing, at work in Montana. — June 11: SURPRISE 00:01:18
- latest, 2023-12-24: At a family reunion in the Dominican Republic, Hank says the most exciting part is the reunion of the brotherhood; Katherine is stuck in Montana at work. — John and Hank Hanging Out but they Keep Getting Younger and More Pixelated 02:44:01
- Hank's 2008 deal to sell EcoGeek to Scientific American, paused by the financial crisis (2008) — 2 videos over 16 years
- first, 2008-08-12: In New York City Hank met the editor-in-chief of Scientific American, who said he admires EcoGeek; Hank says it felt like being king of nerddom for a day. — Eight Days of Awesome 00:00:40
- latest, 2024-10-02: When Lehman Brothers collapsed and the economy crashed in September 2008, Scientific American's owner paused all deals indefinitely; Hank jokes that the deal is still on pause. — What I learned from the weirdest day of my life 00:00:58
- John gives a talk at a Seattle high school with his zipper unzipped (2008) — 3 videos over 16 years
- first, 2008-10-28: John tells how he gave a whole talk at a Seattle high school with his zipper unzipped until a student asked about it; at the end he finds it unzipped again. — The Unzipped Zipper (Of Your Pants) 00:01:47
- latest, 2024-10-11: Recognizing 'The Unzipped Zipper', John retells giving a talk he thought he crushed; of some 300 raised hands, the first person asked whether his fly was down, and after zipping up no one had questions. — October 11, 2024 - Goofing off with John (a Vlogbrothers Video) 00:00:29
- Death of Nerdfighter Esther Earl, John's friend (2010) — 18 videos over 16 years
- first, 2010-08-27: John reports that Esther Earl died earlier this week (week of 23 August 2010), aged 16. — Rest In Awesome, Esther 00:00:00
- latest, 2026-08-03: John finds this year (2026) especially strange: Esther has been gone almost 16 years, as long as she lived, and much of his life has passed without her. — Esther Day 2026: Some Thoughts on Loss 00:00:00
- John's camcorder stops working (2009) — 4 videos over 15 years
- first, 2009-12-13: John's camcorder doesn't work despite everything he tried, so he films on the iSight camera. — Eyelash Malaria 00:00:01
- latest, 2024-10-11: John recalls Eyelash Malaria, about a malaria drug that also lengthens eyelashes, which he made on his computer because his camera was broken. — October 11, 2024 - Goofing off with John (a Vlogbrothers Video) 00:03:14
- John writes a novel about a desert island with a girl narrator (2010) — 2 videos over 15 years
- first, 2010-06-25 (said on 2010-06-26, implied): John's editor Julie Strauss-Gabel says she loves his new book (unfinished reading) and that it will be his next book: a desert island, a dangerously attractive boy and a girl narrator. — Book Nerd PARADISE 00:00:34
- latest, 2025-06-03: John says that before The Fault in Our Stars he confidently said on the channel his next book would be about kids on a desert island; he wrote most of it, but it had no reason for being, so he wrote the book that became The Fault in Our Stars. — My Lies 00:01:21
- John: how Looking for Alaska was written, revised and won the Printz Award (2006) — 16 videos over 15 years; happened 2002 (as told)
- first, 2011-01-21: John tells how Looking for Alaska came to exist and win the Printz Award: three years of night writing with Ilene Cooper's help, Keir Graff's title, Penguin's demand for extensive revisions, and the award call five years ago. — Looking for Alaska Five Years After the Printz Award 00:00:58
- latest, 2026-02-24: On luck, John says a different Printz committee in 2005 might have chosen another book over Looking for Alaska, and his career would look very different. — Risk Is a Privilege 00:01:27
- John's time as a student chaplain at a children's hospital (c. 2000) — 12 videos over 15 years; happened 2000 (as told)
- first, 2011-06-20: A decade ago John worked as a chaplain at a children's hospital, and he was briefly enrolled in, though never attended, the University of Chicago's divinity school. — On Religion 00:00:10
- latest, 2026-08-03: Nor can John reconcile himself to the deaths of Esther, Amy, or the kids he met in the hospital over half his life ago. — Esther Day 2026: Some Thoughts on Loss 00:02:13
- A bookseller ships over a thousand copies of The Fault in Our Stars three weeks early (December 2011) — 2 videos over 15 years
- first, 2011-12-23: John tells how a bookseller shipped over a thousand early copies of The Fault in Our Stars, how he reacted, and how Nerdfighters, Amazon and independent bookstores responded. — There Will Be NO SPOILERS!!! 00:00:00
- latest, 2026-09-22: John recalls that when The Fault in Our Stars came out 14 years ago, a few hundred people got it a month early, and he was devastated, expecting the plot to leak online. — I Want You to Know Nothing About This 00:03:14
- John and Sarah move to Indianapolis (2007) — 21 videos over 14 years
- first, 2007-04-24: John announces he is moving to Indianapolis because Sarah got a job at the Indianapolis Museum of Art; they're psyched, though he has no friends there and will miss New York. — Brotherhood 2.0: April 24: Moving 00:01:29
- latest, 2021-05-25: John left Booklist and Chicago in 2005 when Sarah got into graduate school in New York; afterwards they moved to Indianapolis, where Sarah was contemporary art curator at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. — The Anthropocene Reviewed, Animated 00:07:31
- John's poor grades and skipped classes in high school, from his 1994 report cards — 4 videos over 14 years
- first, 2012-11-13: John's report cards, back to elementary school, all say much the same: great potential as an English student, underachievement, and a slide in effort. — I Was a Child Poet. And a Bad One. 00:01:10
- latest, 2026-03-03: John reads his 11th-grade report cards (a tailspin, underachievement, eight absences in a no-absence trimester); his junior year was not great, and he later wrote a book about it. — The Best Fan Mail I Ever Received 00:02:03
- Hank's time in a Rocky Horror Picture Show cast — 3 videos over 13 years
- first, 2007-10-25: Hank shows ticket stubs from seeing The Rocky Horror Picture Show many times and says he really did win his high school's best dancer award. — October 25th: Down Memory Lane 00:02:29
- latest, 2020-07-24: Asked who he played in his Rocky Horror shows, Hank shows a photo and reveals he played Rocky. — Could I Spare some Change for Gas? 00:01:59
- Red Green's poop in the brothers' childhood Nintendo — 6 videos over 13 years
- first, 2010-03-05: John tells how one summer morning he found Red Green's poop inside the family Nintendo, whose flap he had left open, and lays out the suspects. — Red Green, the Nintendo, and HANK 00:01:29
- latest, 2023-11-17: Hank recalls that the channel spent a long time trying to figure out whether their childhood dachshund pooped in their Nintendo. — WHAT AM I DOING 00:00:31
- John works in Miami to finish an overdue draft of his book (2010) — 2 videos over 13 years
- first, 2010-12-03: John is in Miami but cannot enjoy it because, on December 3, he still hasn't finished a draft of his book; he signs off to go back to his story. — Giant Squids OF LOVE 00:00:03
- latest, 2023-11-07: John completed a draft of The Fault in Our Stars in mid-December 2010 after attempting NaFaDoYBIMSCoM. — NaFaDoYBIMSCoM 00:02:14
- John's signing hand stops working right; doctor and occupational therapy (2011) — 6 videos over 13 years
- first, 2011-08-31: John says his hand isn't working right, so before continuing to sign he must see a doctor and get occupational therapy. — How to Become An Adult 00:03:20
- latest, 2024-12-31: After the pain worsened John saw a doctor and it got worse still; without giving medical details, he says he can no longer sign and is not allowed to. — I Just Can't Do It Anymore 00:01:12
- How John and Sarah met: high school, a boxing sparring partner who was John's ex-girlfriend, and a year of emails — 3 videos over 12 years
- first, 2010-01-20: Hank tells, mock-epic, how John and Sarah met: school in 1995, reconnection through Sarah's boxing sparring partner (John's ex-girlfriend), a year of emails and dates in 2004. — OMG MY BROTHER HAD A BABY 00:00:12
- latest, 2022-02-15: John's most valuable book (retail about $7) is The Spring and the Fall, co-written with Sarah: given to him at their engagement, it holds every email from the year and a half before they dated. — My Most Valuable Books 00:02:55
- John's diseased gallbladder and its removal (2011) — 8 videos over 12 years
- first, 2011-07-20 (said on 2011-07-21, implied): Hank tells John the Nerdfighter gathering just shown was one John missed because of his gallbladder. — HARDCASTLED! 00:00:03
- latest, 2023-12-24: After having his gallbladder removed, John says he can't do the sandwich punishment and asks viewers to suggest another for Hank to pick. — John and Hank Hanging Out but they Keep Getting Younger and More Pixelated 02:08:36
- John's Google+ Hangout interview with President Obama (2013) — 4 videos over 12 years
- first, 2013-02-12: John announces he will be in a Google+ Hangout with President Obama on Thursday (14 February 2013), after someone at Google invited him to ask the President a few questions. — Talking to the President 00:00:37
- latest, 2025-11-14: Hank recalls that when John interviewed Obama on a Google+ Hangout about the penny, Obama said many small things that should be done are blocked by entrenched structures or the interests of a few. — The End of The Penny (and of Congress??) 00:00:56
- John's first Looking for Alaska book signing, attended by two people (2005) — 3 videos over 12 years; happened 2005 (as told)
- first, 2014-09-02: John tells how his first signing after Looking for Alaska drew two people, whom he insulted by reading a line about two uninteresting party guests. — MORTIFICATION 00:00:47
- latest, 2026-07-14: At his first signing, in Chicago in 2005 for Looking for Alaska, two people came, one his boss pretending to be a stranger; John then read a passage that managed to offend them both. — On the Road Again 00:00:29
- John's cameo as 'Girl's Father' is cut from the TFIOS film (2014) (told as a joke) — 6 videos over 12 years
- first, 2014-09-16: John says he had a cameo in the TFiOS film but it was cut, joking that his screen presence was too powerful. — It's Question Tuesday! Cheesy Jokes, Paper Towns Movie, and Dinosaur Butt Brains 00:00:41
- latest, 2026-06-16: John says, self-deprecatingly, that his cameo was cut from The Fault in Our Stars because he is such a bad actor. — My First Novel in Nine Years Has a Cover 00:00:29
- Daniel Biss runs for Illinois state representative (2007) — 12 videos over 11 years
- first, 2007-04-16: John announces that the brothers' resident mathematician Daniel Biss is running for Illinois state representative, on education funding and cutting carbon emissions. — Brotherhood 2.0: April 16: Brotherhood of Traveling Shirts 00:02:27
- latest, 2018-02-20: John says Daniel once called with the worst idea he had ever heard: leaving his good University of Chicago job to run for the Illinois State House. — When Your Friend Runs for Governor 00:01:01
- John's 1984 tee-ball 'all-star in our hearts' trophy (2007) — 4 videos over 11 years; happened 1984 (as told)
- first, 2007-10-30: John tells how, as a 1984 tee-ball all-star alternate, he got his only childhood trophy: one his parents had made, reading 'all-star in our hearts'. — Oct. 30th: My Name Is John Green. And I'm a Nerd. 00:02:26
- latest, 2018-10-29: The Pizza John satin jacket lets you look like John's 1985 Little League coach, who made him an alternate on the All-Star team. — PIZZAMAS IS HERE! 00:02:07
- The brothers' Houston hotel mix-up and luxury room with a Picasso print on the tour (2012) — 3 videos over 11 years
- first, 2012-01-24: John tells how the brothers' Houston hotel sold their rooms and a different hotel gave them one of its best rooms, with a real Picasso print. — Nicest Hotel Room in the World 00:00:01
- latest, 2023-12-24: After a Houston hotel sold their rooms on tour, the brothers got another hotel's best room, bigger than John's house, with a Picasso print and certificate of authenticity. — John and Hank Hanging Out but they Keep Getting Younger and More Pixelated 01:56:36
- The Green family reunion in Seaside, Florida (2012) — 4 videos over 11 years
- first, 2012-05-29: John reports that he and Hank are at a family reunion in Seaside, Florida. — Nerds at the Beach: A REUNION VIDEO! 00:00:18
- latest, 2023-12-24: John and Hank are at a family reunion in Seaside, Florida, which John calls the world capital of teenagers who don't know who they are. — John and Hank Hanging Out but they Keep Getting Younger and More Pixelated 01:51:34
- John's viral meningitis and hospitalisation (2014) — 12 videos over 11 years
- first, 2014-08-08: Hank tells that John got viral meningitis last week (week of 28 July 2014) and missed a video; he is home from hospital, fine, but still in significant pain. — Who Owns a Monkey's Selfie? And a Song About Meningitis! 00:01:51
- latest, 2025-08-12: John says he cannot remember what having meningitis felt like, not in the acute way he remembers scents or sights. — On Balance 00:03:53
- Hank replaces his worn-out phone with a Motorola Droid (2009) — 2 videos over 10 years
- first, 2009-11-07: Hank retires his battered three-year-old phone and gets a Motorola Droid, on which he films this video. — The TOUR DE HANK!!! 00:00:00
- latest, 2019-12-27: Hank recalls, with disgust, that he had a Motorola Droid in 2009. — Why I'm Worried about 2020 00:00:33
- John visits Esther Earl and her Nerdfighter friends in Boston (July 2010) — 3 videos over 10 years
- first, 2010-07-05: John tells of his day in Boston with Esther and her Nerdfighter friends: volleyball questions, Harry Potter characters, a puff fight and a hunt for espresso and gelato. — With Esther 00:00:14
- latest, 2020-09-29: John remembers a walk ten years ago with his friend Esther: for her Make-A-Wish she gathered Nerdfighter friends and invited him, and on the way to gelato they had to cross a bridge. — How 'bout Yours? 00:00:29
- Hank visits Northrop Grumman to meet the builders of the James Webb Space Telescope (2012) — 2 videos over 10 years
- first, 2012-04-06: Hank tells of visiting Northrop Grumman with Katherine, Michael Aranda and Ze Frank to meet the people building the James Webb Space Telescope, invited after his earlier Webb video circulated at NASA. — Can I be Space President? 00:00:00
- latest, 2022-07-22: Hank writes that his 2011 James Webb Space Telescope video became a big deal for people working on the telescope, who handed out 'I Decrease Suck' and 'I Increase Awesome' buttons. — What are These Boys Doing?? 00:00:00
- John's depression at 24 in Chicago: leave from Booklist, home to Orlando, and watching Harvey — 5 videos over 10 years; happened 2001 (as told)
- first, 2013-10-29: John tells how at 24, depressed after a breakup in Chicago, he took two weeks' leave from Booklist at Bill Ott's urging, went home to Orlando for therapy and medication, watched Harvey, and felt less hopeless. — Perspective 00:00:28
- latest, 2023-04-18: John retells that in late 2001 a mental health crisis and depression got so bad that, with his parents, he decided to quit his job and move home to Florida for full-time care. — goodbye to my friend 00:00:21
- John is named to the Time 100 and goes to its party in New York (2014) — 3 videos over 10 years
- first, 2014-04-29: John tells Hank that Time named him one of the 100 most influential people and that he is flying to New York for its party. — Influence, Airports, and the Nerdfighter Book Club 00:00:04
- latest, 2024-10-01: John improbably reached the top: Saturday Night Live mocked his book in a sketch, Time named him one of the world's most influential people, and a studio executive said he was blowing up. — On Fame and Chappell Roan 00:00:58
- Hank plays Wil Wheaton's Titansgrave tabletop RPG show for Geek & Sundry (2015) — 2 videos over 10 years
- first, 2015-04-03 (said on 2015-03-31, implied): Hank reports from the set of Wil Wheaton's tabletop RPG show, playing Titansgrave with Yuri Lowenthal, Laura Bailey and Alison Haislip; the show comes out in June. — Snap Questions: On the Set of Titansgrave! 00:00:01
- latest, 2025-12-09: John says Titansgrave was a wildly popular RPG show hosted by Wil Wheaton and co-starring Hank. — Hank Green, from A to Z 00:03:53
- Looking for Alaska named the most challenged book in the US for 2015 (2016) — 5 videos over 10 years
- first, 2016-04-12: John reports that the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom has released its list of the ten most challenged books, and Looking for Alaska was the most challenged book of 2015. — On the Banning of Looking for Alaska 00:00:01
- latest, 2026-03-31: John says his first novel, Looking for Alaska, was just banned in every single school in Utah. — I've Been Keeping a Secret… 00:02:26
- Amy Krouse Rosenthal turns 'We're here because we're here' into hope for a depressed John at her reading (2005) — 5 videos over 10 years; happened 2005 (as told)
- first, 2016-08-02: That evening Amy hosted The Beckoning of Lovely at the Bean in Millennium Park; what stuck with John most was singing an old soldiers' song to Auld Lang Syne with hundreds of people. — Beckoning Lovely 00:01:40
- latest, 2026-02-15: Chat's "we're here because we're here because we're here" always makes John emotional, as it makes him think of his great friend Amy Krouse Rosenthal. — Project for Awesome 2026 part 5! 04:27:41
- Hank and Katherine have a baby, Orin (2016) — 15 videos over 10 years
- first, 2016-08-03: Hank says he is going to have a baby, which he has heard is pretty life-changing. — Lives Made of Love - Esther Day 2016 00:01:21
- latest, 2026-10-30: Hank recalls Pizzagate, and Donald Trump being elected president just days after Hank's son was born, which he found weird. — The Last Normal Year 00:01:30
- John's teenage mistreatment of his body and later quitting smoking and running (c. 1993-2005) — 7 videos over 10 years
- first, 2016-08-30: John says until recently he felt better than 10 or 20 years ago, largely because when younger he treated his body terribly, smoking and refusing to exercise. — My Body Is a Broken Temple 00:00:46
- latest, 2026-02-15: John says he still has Instagram on his phone though he does not want to; he knows it is bad for him, like cigarettes, which he smoked for a long time and took a long time to quit. — Project for Awesome 2026 part 5! 04:34:38
- John misses the voter registration deadline after moving to Chicago (2000) — 3 videos over 9 years; happened 2000-08 (as told)
- first, 2007-01-04: John says he did not vote in 2000 even though he could have voted in Florida, and comically blames himself for George Bush. — Brotherhood 2.0: Eating Toilet Paper 00:00:40
- latest, 2016-08-09: John tells how, in August 2000, newly moved to Chicago with a Florida driver's license and no idea how to register, he missed the registration deadline; he calls it one of the great shames of his life. — Why I Didn't Vote (And Six Reasons You Might Not) 00:02:41
- John's March 2007 'eye doctor' visit, later told as a dentist visit (2007) — 3 videos over 9 years
- first, 2007-03-07: John spends three hours at the eye doctor, has his eyes dilated and is told he probably has nothing to worry about. — Brotherhood 2.0: March 7, 2007: Stress 00:00:36
- latest, 2016-05-10: John reveals that the doctor's visit he complained about in March 2007 was actually a dentist visit, where his oral surgeon told him he probably had nothing to worry about; past John read that as meaning he definitely did, and was right. — On Pain 00:00:48
- John and Hank's dad grows up in Indianapolis and leaves it for good weeks after John's birth — 3 videos over 9 years
- first, 2007-05-15: Hank says John grew up in Indianapolis, living there until he was 'like, three', and that he doesn't feel John has mentioned this. — May 15th: A Bit More EBO and Wikipedia 00:00:27
- latest, 2016-07-05: Their dad worked hard to get out of Indianapolis; he and Mom left for good a few weeks after John was born and never looked back. — The Horizon Line 00:01:27
- John takes the line 'Imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia' from Sarah on their first date for Looking for Alaska (told 2016) — 6 videos over 9 years
- first, 2010-03-19: The Looking for Alaska line on the Italian edition's back, 'imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia', was said to John by Sarah on their first date. — Foreign John Green Books and the Ultimate Concern 00:02:04
- latest, 2019-09-10: John recalls that on their first date Sarah said 'imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia', which he promptly put into Looking for Alaska and still thinks is the book's best line. — Another Contender in the Room 00:00:29
- Hank writes An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, his first novel (2014) — 14 videos over 9 years; happened 2014-11 (as told)
- first, 2015-01-13: John says he heard on Tumblr that Hank is also writing a story. — On Writing, Looking for Alaska Turning 10, and Winning the Project for Awesome 00:03:39
- latest, 2024-08-07: Hank recalls early feedback asking whether April should use a fictional platform instead of YouTube; he answered that if YouTube stopped mattering, none of the book would. — Dear Hank and John Livestream! 00:14:38
- Hank's YouTube interview with President Obama (January 2015) — 7 videos over 9 years
- first, 2015-01-16: Hank announces President Obama will have a conversation with him, livestreamed on the White House's YouTube channel on January 22. — Is School Broken? (Also...ANNOUNCEMENTS OF IMPORT) 00:02:48
- latest, 2024-05-10: In a channel comment Hank jokes that nine years ago he was interviewing Obama, so interviewing the Secretary could be a step down. — Three Whole Onions with Secretary Pete Buttigieg 00:00:00
- John's 36 hours from the Indianapolis 500 to Wembley and AFC Wimbledon's promotion party (May 2016) — 7 videos over 9 years
- first, 2016-05-31 (said on 2016-05-29, implied): John tells of his 36 hours from a bike ride to the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday (29 May 2016) to Wembley a day later (30 May 2016) for AFC Wimbledon, ending at a promotion party. — The Most Amazing Day 00:00:00
- latest, 2025-05-20: John recalls that he and Stuart completed the double before, a day so magical he made a Vlogbrothers video about it and his suit lining depicts that day at Wembley. — The Double 00:02:55
- Hank mispronounces 'façade' throughout a college oral presentation on Leon Battista Alberti (college) — 3 videos over 7 years
- first, 2007-05-17: Hank insists he is right about Wikipedia, though wrong about many things, such as once mispronouncing 'façade' in a Renaissance presentation. — May 17th: Wikeeeeeepedia...and Happy Birthday Katherine 00:02:02
- latest, 2014-11-18: Hank retells his college oral presentation on Leon Battista Alberti, in which he said 'fah-caid' for façade about 26 times; it left a permanent scar. — How to Never Feel Embarrassed Again 00:00:34
- John writes the Paper Towns screenplay (2008) — 12 videos over 7 years
- first, 2008-10-30 (said on 2008-10-29, implied): Hank says John may be writing the Paper Towns screenplay for the people who made Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. — Hank is Late (dr horrible) 00:01:52
- latest, 2015-04-28: John recalls the Paper Towns screenplay he wrote many years ago: vastly different from the book, theme-first, and horrible. — Is the Paper Towns Movie Like the Book? Thoughts on Adaptations 00:01:54
- Hank is bullied and survives it without dealing with it — 2 videos over 7 years
- first, 2011-07-25: Hank recalls being physically and psychologically tortured by bullies: he cried and hated himself and his life, and survived it without dealing with it. — I Am Not a P#$$Y - this video contains mild swear words. 00:03:18
- latest, 2018-06-15: Hank still has a 'sports are dumb' mentality left over from being socially discounted and occasionally punched by athletic people as a teen. — Sports are Dumb 00:00:58
- Hank gives John an original Aero Fighters ('Nerd Fighters') arcade game for his birthday (2013) — 3 videos over 7 years
- first, 2013-09-10: John tells Hank that, despite their agreement on no birthday presents, the original 'Nerd Fighters' arcade game arrived at their office as Hank's present. — Secrets of the Movies: Thoughts from The Fault in Our Stars Set 00:00:00
- latest, 2020-01-21: John tells Hank that the Aero Fighters video game machine Hank gave him meant much more to him than a check for its cost would have. — Gifts That Changed My Life 00:00:29
- John's long day at the 2015 MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles (April 2015) — 2 videos over 7 years
- first, 2015-04-14: John tells his long Sunday (12 April 2015): an early flight from Indianapolis to Los Angeles, getting ready, the red carpet with the cast, and the MTV Movie Awards show where The Fault in Our Stars won Best Movie. — A Long Good Day 00:00:01
- latest, 2022-04-05: Dwayne Johnson handed John an MTV Movie Award in about 2015; John doesn't remember their backstage chat, so distracted was he by The Rock's biceps. — Celebrities I've Met and Whether I'd Vote for Them??? 00:01:56
- John's European Paper Towns press trip with Nat Wolff, starting in Madrid (June 2015) — 3 videos over 7 years
- first, 2015-06-16 (said on 2015-06-13, implied): John leaves his kids with his parents in Asheville and flies via New York to Madrid with Nat Wolff, where they fight jet lag at the Reina Sofia museum. — Paper Towns Madrid with Nat Wolff! THE TOUR BEGINS 00:00:16
- latest, 2022-01-25: In 2015 John, Nat Wolff and Cara Delevingne travelled to eight countries in two weeks to promote the Paper Towns movie. — My Least Relatable Story: The Parisian Dentist 00:00:00
- John's weeks of severe illness while changing his medication regimen (2015) — 2 videos over 7 years
- first, 2015-11-20: John tells of being very sick for several weeks while trying a new medication regimen for his OCD, what years of illness have taught him, and that he is starting to feel better through medication and exercise. — On Mental Illness (and the end of Pizzamas) 00:02:07
- latest, 2022-01-25: In retrospect, John says, the Parisian dentist was the first sign of a psychological storm that would eventually derail his life for a while; the fancy dentist did not save him from it. — My Least Relatable Story: The Parisian Dentist 00:02:55
- Orin poops with his diaper off on his first day home and Hank tries to catch it (2016) — 3 videos over 7 years
- first, 2016-11-29: Hank tells how, on Orin's first day home, Orin pooped with his diaper off while Hank was changing him, and Hank tried to catch it with his hand. — Baby Poop Rookie: Vlogbrothers Reunited 00:01:28
- latest, 2023-12-24: On paternity leave with his son Orin, Hank says the most surprising thing about having a baby is the noise of the poops. — John and Hank Hanging Out but they Keep Getting Younger and More Pixelated 01:06:29
- John's yearly January letters to himself: a look back and goals for the new year — 7 videos over 7 years
- first, 2018-01-02: John finds it nerve-wracking to talk about goals not yet accomplished, but thinks it can increase accountability. — BRING IT IN 2018 00:03:27
- latest, 2025-01-07: John says he used to set specific, measurable goals, but the year Hank got cancer showed him that telling a year what will happen is a fool's errand; now he has only hopes, prayers and intentions. — The Format but it hurts to stand up 00:02:59
- The brothers visit a village in the Dominican Republic, arranged by their dad (2007) — 6 videos over 6 years
- first, 2007-06-13: The brothers, through their dad, visit a Dominican village and people in very bad situations; footage is promised for later. — June 13: Dominican Debacles 00:01:39
- latest, 2013-01-15: Hank recalls the brothers visiting a microfinance organization in the Dominican Republic in their first year and meeting borrowers and their businesses. — An Evening of Awesome at Carnegie Hall 01:55:30
- John's week touring the Netherlands with Jordan Sonnenblick and Steve Kluger (2009) — 2 videos over 6 years; happened 2008 (as told)
- first, 2009-03-22: John recounts his week touring Holland with Jordan Sonnenblick and Steve Kluger, the Amsterdam Nerdfighter gathering and a Dutch journalist's view of Paper Towns. — John Loves Amsterdam 00:00:39
- latest, 2015-04-21: John recalls the Amsterdam Nerdfighter gathering, the first in Europe he attended (dated 2008 by him), where a Dutch Nerdfighter asked to be introduced to the Belgian boys. — A Stunning Turn of Events 00:02:04
- The Nerdfighter couple John proposed for on air in 2009: marriage and first child (2009) — 3 videos over 6 years
- first, 2009-06-30: John phones the requesting viewer's girlfriend, apologises for misspelling her name when he signed her book, then asks whether she will marry her boyfriend; she says yes. — Nerdfighter MARRIAGE PROPOSAL 00:01:25
- latest, 2015-01-13: John recalls the marriage proposal of Nerdfighter Temerity Jane he took part in years ago (clip shown) and says she and Phil are now married with a child. — On Writing, Looking for Alaska Turning 10, and Winning the Project for Awesome 00:00:46
- Hank and Katherine foster a greyhound, then adopt retired racer Lemon (2010) — 5 videos over 6 years
- first, 2010-01-25: Hank and Katherine are fostering a nameless eight-year-old female greyhound that didn't work out in another home; keeping her depends on Cameo the cat. — Name My Dog! 00:01:08
- latest, 2016-02-19: Hank was uncomfortable calling Lemon a rescue: they adopted her because they wanted a dog and greyhounds are good dogs, not as charity. — Thanks, Lemon 00:02:39
- John in Venice for the Indianapolis Museum of Art's US Pavilion at the Venice Biennale (2011) — 2 videos over 6 years
- first, 2011-06-06: John reports on his Venice trip for the IMA's US Pavilion at the Venice Biennale: a party with Michael Stipe and a pavilion he calls a total success. — Men Running on Tanks and the Truth about Book Editors 00:00:06
- latest, 2017-08-08: Watching gondolas from a bridge, John recalls his last visit to Venice just over six years ago: his video began 'I'm in Venice and I'm really sick', and he was very sick. — What You Make of It: Thoughts from Venice, Italy 00:02:01
- John is denied entry to Canada for insufficient funds (1995) and has been flagged at every entry since 2001 — 3 videos over 6 years; happened 1995 (as told)
- first, 2012-06-26: John tells how he was denied entry to Canada for insufficient funds in 1995 and, since 2001, is taken aside on every entry. — Insufficient Funds: A Story of Canada 00:00:41
- latest, 2018-04-17: John is not banned from Canada, but gets extra screening on entry because he is on a list of potential undesirables after being denied entrance in 1995 for insufficient funds. — John Green Answers Your John Green Questions 00:01:36
- Birth of John and Sarah's second child, Alice (2013) — 11 videos over 6 years
- first, 2013-02-15: Hank reports that in the interview the President declined to name John and Sarah's unborn child. — Baby, Harlem, Obama, Dance Crazes, Big Week 00:02:37
- latest, 2019-12-17: John says the two best days of his decade and his life were the days his kids were born. — The Best Days of My Decade 00:00:09
- John keeps looking away while filming sick children and worried mothers in Ethiopia (2014) — 2 videos over 6 years
- first, 2014-09-23: John tells how, filming in Ethiopia, he kept looking away from a girl holding her sick brother, families at a hospital, preterm babies and a very sick boy his son's age. — Looking Away 00:00:19
- latest, 2020-01-28: John recalls making a video from Ethiopia six years ago called Looking Away, about listening to and supporting people living in absolute poverty. — Looking Away (Again) 00:02:20
- Hank's teenage wish to get a mohawk at 40 (high school) — 3 videos over 6 years
- first, 2017-03-14: Hank says that in college he wanted a job where he could get a mohawk at 40, and now he has one, then plays 'your cool teacher Hank with the 40 year old mohawk'. — Green Brothers Reunited! 00:02:09
- latest, 2023-09-26: Hank says he has had looks over the years he does not feel great about, had a mohawk for a while, and is now going to have a mustache, with no way to know how it will go. — THE REVEAL 00:01:22
- John and Sarah's 2019 trip to Sierra Leone and its hospitals (2019) — 4 videos over 6 years; happened 2019 (as told)
- first, 2020-01-28: John says he looked away: he didn't want to gawk, didn't know how to help in that moment, and it was awful to see a mother in such pain and a child suffering. — Looking Away (Again) 00:01:51
- latest, 2026-04-28: John recalls that on his first visit in 2019 KGH, already improved with PIH support, had running water and 24-hour electricity but no ultrasound or diabetes treatment, and far fewer patients. — What I Can't Show You 00:00:29
- Hank joins TikTok and posts several TikToks a day (2020) — 17 videos over 6 years
- first, 2020-07-17: When there is a new way stories spread, Hank feels almost obliged to engage with it, and he has been doing so with TikTok. — So Much to See 00:00:31
- latest, 2026-02-15: Hank realised he was putting about 60% of a YouTube video's effort into a TikTok, while a YouTube video is far better for the world; he now makes far fewer TikToks, having once made three a day. — Project for Awesome 2026 part 5! 03:41:03
- Hank visits the Detroit auto show at General Motors' invitation (2007) — 3 videos over 5 years
- first, 2007-01-09: Hank tells John he accepted General Motors' invitation to the Detroit auto show as a writer for environmental blogs, and shows the show. — Brotherhood 2.0: January 9th 00:00:34
- latest, 2012-11-08: John says he has dreamed of a Chevy Volt since Hank's January 2007 Detroit Auto Show video, where it emerged as a concept car, and waited six years, partly for lack of money. — VOLT! A Dream Comes True. 00:00:29
- John and M. T. Anderson go urban exploring in Detroit's ruins (2007) — 3 videos over 5 years
- first, 2007-03-19 (said on 2007-03-17, implied): Stranded by cancelled flights, John and M. T. Anderson take an urban exploring tour of Detroit's abandoned buildings with a guide, fleeing one building and exploring the United Artists Theatre. — Brotherhood 2.0: March 19th: Urban Exploration 00:00:05
- latest, 2012-06-12: John recalls that he once broke into abandoned buildings in Detroit with M. T. Anderson. — Chris Colfer, John Green, Mob Wives, and Jeffrey Eugenides: Thoughts from Places Book Expo 00:01:27
- The childhood hammer story: Hank 'tried to kill' John (2008) (told as a joke) — 2 videos over 5 years
- first, 2008-07-08 (said on 2008-07-07, implied): John phones their mom, who confirms that Hank tried to kill John with a hammer when they were little, while John's worst acts were cough syrup on the bedspread and an over-hard hug. — Hank Tried to Kill Me With a Hammer 00:01:24
- latest, 2013-12-13: Sydney retells how small Hank, unable to talk yet, got tired of John yelling at him and took a hammer to him. — Mom and Dad Green! Extra Special Question Tuesday 00:02:04
- John grows a Movember beard for prostate cancer research (2009) — 4 videos over 5 years
- first, 2009-11-17: Asked about his beard, John says he is growing it for Movember after someone offered money to prostate cancer research if he kept it all month. — Question Tuesday: The Free Money Edition 00:00:35
- latest, 2014-11-12: Hank retells John's video about Pakistan in which he slowly shaved his Movember beard, ending in a few seconds of mustache: the image that became Pizza John. — The History of Pizza John! 00:01:32
- John's trip to London for the AFC Wimbledon v Liverpool FA Cup tie (2015) — 3 videos over 5 years
- first, 2015-01-04: John tells how AFC Wimbledon drew Liverpool in the FA Cup (he shouted and ruined a Paper Towns take) and that he is flying with the Yeti to London for the game. — The Best Worst Thing 00:01:25
- latest, 2020-09-08: In a comment, asked what he would do if AFC Wimbledon faced Liverpool, John says they have, and it was strange and difficult. — That's the way. 00:00:00
- John co-hosts a stop on Joe Biden's book tour and is struck by his listening — 3 videos over 5 years
- first, 2017-11-07: John will miss PodCon's first day, Saturday, because he is interviewing former Vice President Joe Biden; there will still be plenty of live Dear Hank and John. — Definitely Not A Pecan Orchard: A Pizzamas Question Tuesday 00:01:08
- latest, 2022-04-05: Several years ago Joe Biden asked John to co-host a stop on his book tour; Biden was so empathetic and careful a listener that John made a whole video about it. — Celebrities I've Met and Whether I'd Vote for Them??? 00:01:27
- John writes his first nonfiction book, The Anthropocene Reviewed (2020) — 15 videos over 5 years
- first, 2020-09-01: John says writing these essays has been the most fun he has had writing since maybe ever, and he is going back to it. — get the show on 00:03:24
- latest, 2025-06-03: After he started writing nonfiction John announced he was done with fiction: as in The Anthropocene Reviewed, he no longer saw its point and felt his historical moment could only be met with truth. — My Lies 00:02:20
- John's labyrinthitis after the Turtles All the Way Down tour (2017) — 10 videos over 5 years; happened 2017-11 (as told)
- first, 2021-05-25: A week later, his balance suddenly failed: the world spun, his eyes shivered, he vomited and was rushed to hospital; diagnosed with labyrinthitis, an inner-ear disease, it was an unambiguously one-star experience. — The Anthropocene Reviewed, Animated 00:00:58
- latest, 2026-02-15: John does not need a yacht: he dislikes boats because a vestibular disorder from his labyrinthitis in 2017 makes him sick; he is glad they are hiring community health workers in Lesotho. — Project for Awesome 2026 part 5! 03:12:33
- John's first kiss at summer camp sets his hair on fire — 2 videos over 4 years
- first, 2007-11-26: At Eagles Nest Camp in 1987, aged 10, John dated and was dumped by Tiffany, his first girlfriend who kissed him. — Nov. 26th: Writing Advice (And Notes on Surnameless Tiffany) 00:00:00
- latest, 2011-09-30: John retells his first kiss at summer camp: a candlelight ceremony on the last night, face licking, and his hair catching fire from the candle. — YouTube Survey: Balls and First Kisses 00:00:50
- Hank's Asacol HD price rises from $50 to $620 a month (2011) — 4 videos over 4 years
- first, 2011-01-24: Hank tells how Asacol HD, offered at $50 a month, went to $620 at the pharmacy when the patient savings card lapsed before its listed April 1st, 2011 expiry, and the help line's mailbox was full. — The 1200% Increase in my Prescription Drug Costs 00:01:02
- latest, 2015-11-24: John reminds long-time Nerdfighters that in 2011 Warner Chilcott raised the price of Asacol 1200% overnight, as an example of routine US drug-price hikes. — Crime and Outrage 00:02:19
- John's walk in the woods near his parents' North Carolina home: their goats mate and he gets lost (December 2011) — 3 videos over 4 years
- first, 2011-12-28: John tells of his walk from Mom and Dad's house yesterday (27 December 2011): slipping on leaves, watching the goats mate, getting lost and finding his way home by his skid marks. — Goats Mating 00:00:00
- latest, 2015-08-25: John recalls that he made the internet's number one goat-mating video and has seen goats mate. — Question Tuesday: The Goat Edition 00:01:48
- John's friendship with Ransom Riggs, from their Kenyon College Ulysses class to Miss Peregrine (told 2012) — 2 videos over 4 years
- first, 2012-02-21: John tells of his friendship with Randy (Ransom Riggs), from their Kenyon Ulysses class through Mental Floss and road trips to Los Angeles twelve years later. — Life is Weird. Also beautiful. 00:01:39
- latest, 2016-09-27: John has known Ransom Riggs, Miss Peregrine's author, half his life: in college they road-tripped to the Grand Canyon, read James Joyce and wrote comedy sketches. — Books, Movies, and Wonder: Thoughts from a Red Carpet 00:01:05
- Hank tours the Philip L. Wright Zoological Museum with volunteer guide Emily (2012) — 3 videos over 4 years
- first, 2012-12-07: Hank and Michael visit the Philip L. Wright Zoological Museum in Missoula, where Emily gives them a tour. — Thoughts from Dead Animals 00:00:37
- latest, 2016-10-07: Hank says a video with someone he met at a tiny Missoula research museum led to The Brain Scoop, and their French Revolution and circulatory-system videos led to Crash Course. — Changing Our Business a Bit 00:00:42
- John's big break: Amy Krouse Rosenthal gets him recording essays for WBEZ (2002) — 2 videos over 4 years; happened 2002 (as told)
- first, 2016-08-02: John tells how Amy Krouse Rosenthal, after emailing him at Booklist in 2002, got him recording essays for WBEZ, which helped him sell Looking for Alaska. — Beckoning Lovely 00:00:17
- latest, 2020-12-31: John sent Amy three short essays; she liked one and had him record it for her show on Chicago public radio station WBEZ, his first time reaching such a large audience. — Auld Lang Syne: The Anthropocene Reviewed 00:04:57
- Hank's sensory processing disorder and ADHD (2017) — 2 videos over 4 years
- first, 2017-03-10: Hank says that as a little kid he was diagnosed with a learning disability, a sensory dysfunction. — Do I Have ADHD? 00:00:00
- latest, 2021-04-16: Hank, who would have had a very different life without computers, has sensory processing disorder and ADHD and reads slower than the average ninth grader; luck in timing, the right tools and support turned possible liabilities into assets. — Gene Editing and Intelligence: A Bad 00:02:26
- Hank and John grow up going to Rax restaurants (childhood) — 3 videos over 4 years; happened 1985 (as told)
- first, 2020-10-08: Hank recalls that he and John grew up going to Rax on days they had been good, when Wendy's wasn't good enough, to split a soft, gooey cookie. — The Commercial that Killed a Fast Food Chain 00:00:00
- latest, 2024-04-09: John says they got four sandwiches: his childhood Rax order, the Big Boy (a big roast beef), and three for Hank: a roast beef, a beef and cheddar, and a hoagie-like roast beef with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise. — Hank and John Reunited WITH RAX 00:02:16
- Crash Course and Complexly begin from John's 2010 Gchat proposal and $10,000 of Hank's money (2010) — 3 videos over 4 years
- first, 2021-06-25: Hank replied that it was a great idea, John said he would do it, and that, Hank says, is how Crash Course was born. — The Surprising Origin of Crash Course 00:00:29
- latest, 2025-05-23: Hank reminds everyone that Crash Course was John's idea, and congratulates him. — I Can’t Believe How Few People it Takes. 00:06:14
- Hank gets shingles (2022) — 5 videos over 4 years
- first, 2022-09-13: John says Hank is sick with shingles, which is extremely painful and sucks, and he is sorry. — A Million Things at Once 00:00:00
- latest, 2026-03-20: Hank has shingles; when sick he researches his disease until he finds it bizarre and fascinating and lets that distract him, which he has done with shingles before. — I'm Sick Because of the Social Structures of Early Hominins 00:00:00
- Will Grayson, Will Grayson: John and David Levithan sell their co-written book (2007) — 6 videos over 3 years
- first, 2007-11-19: John waits for the call on whether and by whom his co-written book with David Levithan will be published; the call comes and he celebrates. — November 19th: HOORAY HOORAY HAPPY HOORAY! 00:00:03
- latest, 2010-03-29: John says that in a few days a book he co-wrote with David Levithan comes out and they are going on tour; some tour events are ticketed (link in the description). — Quotations (And Holden Hats) 00:00:27
- John finds and reads a picture book he wrote as a child, 'Happy New Year Streamers' (2009) — 2 videos over 3 years
- first, 2009-01-27: John reads a book he wrote as a child, found during his office reorganization. — Before Looking for Alaska… 00:00:13
- latest, 2012-11-13: Among the finds: his early work 'The Best New Years Resolution Ever: Happy New Year Streamers' and misprinted EcoGeek business cards from January 2007. — I Was a Child Poet. And a Bad One. 00:00:34
- John's paternity leave from vlogbrothers, with guest hosts filling in (2013) — 22 videos over 3 years
- first, 2013-04-02: John announces a four- or possibly five-week paternity leave from Vlogbrothers, with guest Johns including Hannah Hart, Grace Helbig and a Nerdfighter. — TFiOS Movie Casting, New Books, and Groundhog Wars: An Old School Vlogbrothers Video 00:02:26
- latest, 2016-11-14: Craig recalls that a few years ago he filled in for John on vlogbrothers, doing an impression of him. — Who the Eff Is Hank? 00:00:13
- John's face is hit by a bike messenger in Chicago, starting years of chronic mouth pain (about 2003) — 3 videos over 3 years
- first, 2013-07-19: John explains his missing tooth: terrible chronic pain since before Brotherhood 2.0 ended in a complicated, painful surgery, and it no longer hurts. — TFiOS Movie, Bees, Babies, and More! 00:01:16
- latest, 2016-05-10: John says he has been to the dentist more than 150 times in the 13 years since a bike messenger's shoulder ran into his face as he stood on a Chicago curb reading a novel. — On Pain 00:00:11
- John sells the Looking for Alaska film rights for three times his salary, paying for his and Sarah's move to New York (2005) — 2 videos over 3 years
- first, 2015-06-30: The money from selling the rights let John and Sarah move to New York so Sarah could go to graduate school toward becoming a curator, so John cannot really regret the sale. — Some News 00:02:39
- latest, 2018-10-31: John says Hollywood suddenly took interest: in one day he was paid three times his annual salary for the movie rights, which let them move to New York and bought him time to write. — The Looking for Alaska Thing 00:01:10
- John turns his phone into a 'dumb phone' and changes how he follows the news (2016) — 5 videos over 3 years
- first, 2016-11-17: John says a few months ago he turned his phone into a dumb phone (texts, calls, Pokémon Go), and about a year ago began reading four newspapers instead of relying on his social media feed. — Decathlons, Pretension, and the Weirdest Animal I've Met: It's Question Thursday 00:02:15
- latest, 2019-11-07: He feels better informed than a year ago: he misses watching news unfold live online, but learns a lot from his local newspaper, podcasts and outlets like The Economist. — I took a year off social media. Here's what happened. 00:01:44
- Hank's lonely first science job in a lab after graduating (told 2017) — 2 videos over 3 years
- first, 2017-05-26: Hank loved science and got a science job after graduating, but it was miserable because he was the only person in the lab; after six months it got lonely. — Some Rough Advice for the "Real World" 00:00:39
- latest, 2020-03-06: After college Hank worked alone in a fungicide quality-control lab: running the whole lab was exciting, but it was awful, as he saw no living thing all day but mold. — I Did Not Get Leprosy! 00:00:00
- John's regular exercise after 100 Days and its effects on his body and mind (2017) — 4 videos over 3 years
- first, 2020-01-07: John wants to continue exercising at least 150 minutes a week, making Dear Hank and John every Monday and a Vlogbrothers video every Tuesday. — Endings · Beginnings 00:03:09
- latest, 2023-01-03: John's past goals included exercising 150 minutes a week and finishing The Anthropocene Reviewed book, and he has a pretty good track record of meeting them. — TAKE IT DOWN A NOTCH 00:00:58
- John reads widely about tuberculosis and 19th-century illness (2022) — 28 videos over 3 years
- first, 2023-01-31: John explores these questions in his free time for fun, which would have been hard to explain to his 19-year-old self. — I'm Going Back to College? 00:01:27
- latest, 2026-08-25: Researching Everything Is Tuberculosis, John read Gail Perkins's memoir The Baby's Cross: infected by raw milk at three, she spent over 13 years in a sanatorium and came home unaccustomed to touch. — The Great Thing about Infectious Disease 00:03:24
- Hank's Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis and chemotherapy (2023) — 75 videos over 3 years
- first, 2023-05-19: The description reports that a PET/CT scan showed the cancer has not spread from its original location in Hank's left armpit/chest area. — So, I've got cancer 00:00:00
- latest, 2026-10-09: When Hank was sick and thought he might be nearer the end of his life, one of his few big regrets was not having done more of that supporting work. — The Productivity Lie 00:06:25
- John and Henry Reider, a Sierra Leonean teenager with multidrug-resistant TB he met at Lakka hospital (2019) — 11 videos over 3 years; happened 2019 (as told)
- first, 2023-08-15: In 2019 John visited the Lakka TB hospital in Sierra Leone and met Henry, who shares his son's name and seemed his son's age; Henry showed him around, and John assumed he was a nurse's child. — Henry 00:00:00
- latest, 2026-08-03: John cannot reconcile himself to his friend Henry having almost died of TB and living with its scars. — Esther Day 2026: Some Thoughts on Loss 00:02:13
- John and his mom's homemade hot sauce (2023) — 4 videos over 3 years
- first, 2023-08-22: The peppers are for John and his mom's annual hot sauce: he is making experimental fermented sauces with the early peppers, and the traditional family sauce later in the year. — The Panera Phenomenon 00:03:08
- latest, 2026-10-27: John and his mom grow pepper plants to make their family hot sauce; tending them is another thing he might be doing if he ever Salingered. — Should I Salinger… 00:03:32
- Hank steps back from running DFTBA and Complexly after cancer treatment; new CEO LJ Joukovski, Julie acting CEO (2023) — 6 videos over 3 years
- first, 2023-08-29: They were months into finding a leader when Hank got sick, and found her: LJ Joukovski, a brilliant, experienced leader passionate about DFTBA's mission. — Breaking News: CEO Demoted 00:03:24
- latest, 2026-02-04: Hank says he has not been CEO for over two years; the organization of dozens of people is bigger than the brothers, who already do not oversee most decisions. — We Just Sold Our Company for $0 00:03:24
- John's family gets a puppy, Potato (2023) — 9 videos over 3 years
- first, 2023-12-12: John tells Hank his family has a puppy named Potato, five months old, whom he calls the greatest and a very good boy. — POTATO! 00:00:00
- latest, 2026-02-15: Potato ate half of the 12-ounce block of cheese left over from John's Banana Loca and brought the rest upstairs very proudly. — Project for Awesome 2026 part 5! 02:45:11
- John proposes to Sarah with a book inscribed by Hendrik Hertzberg (2008) — 3 videos over 2 years; happened 2005 (as told)
- first, 2008-08-06: John tells how he proposed to Sarah: Hendrik Hertzberg, whom he met at a conference, signed a book to her asking "Will you marry John Green?". — Question Tuesday Returns (on a Wednesday) 00:02:09
- latest, 2010-01-20: Hank retells the proposal: in 2005 a red rose on every step to Sarah's fourth-floor apartment and John at the top with more roses and a ring. — OMG MY BROTHER HAD A BABY 00:01:34
- The brothers' childhood choreographed dances to Ice Ice Baby and Stand (told as a joke) — 2 videos over 2 years; happened 1989 (as told)
- first, 2009-08-11: John recalls the brothers' childhood choreographed dance to Ice Ice Baby (Hank about six, John about nine), and maybe one to R.E.M.'s Stand. — The Island of Nerdfighteria? 00:01:01
- latest, 2011-06-06: John recalls that he and Hank choreographed a dance to R.E.M.'s 'Stand' in 1989, which their dad videotaped and then lost. — Men Running on Tanks and the Truth about Book Editors 00:00:23
- John and Sarah (the Yeti) are expecting a baby (2009) — 15 videos over 2 years
- first, 2009-12-15: John 'discovers' a crib and reveals that the Yeti is going to have a baby. — In Which A Secret Is Revealed 00:03:36
- latest, 2011-04-29: John and the Yeti agreed in advance that a boy would be named Henry and a girl 'Bubbles the Nerdfighting Lady Baby'. — Peanut Butter Face Question Tuesday 00:01:47
- John applies for health insurance through the ACA exchange and a pre-ACA private insurer (2013) — 2 videos over 2 years
- first, 2013-10-08: John applies for health insurance through the ACA exchange (account errors, ID upload, 49 minutes) and through a pre-ACA private application (2 hours 16 minutes of medical history); neither yields insurance yet. — Applying for Health Insurance: Then and Now 00:00:00
- latest, 2015-03-24: John says signing up is now really easy and he is among the more than 12 million Americans insured through the exchanges. — Is Obamacare Working? The Affordable Care Act Five Years Later 00:04:01
- John writes a novel about what it means to be human and how we define personhood (2015) — 5 videos over 2 years
- first, 2015-06-09: John says he has spent three years trying to write a novel about what it means to be human and how we define personhood. — What Does It Mean to Be Human? 00:00:07
- latest, 2017-02-21: John says he doesn't know everything about his new book because it is not finished yet. — Does Human Life Have Real Meaning? 00:02:03
- Hank's summer job at Walmart (told 2017) — 3 videos over 2 years
- first, 2017-09-15: Hank recalls working at Walmart, where people took whole toilet paper rolls home; replacing them, he would find someone had filled a backpack with it within two hours. — My Butt Has Some Complaints About Australia 00:01:00
- latest, 2019-03-29: Hank says he knows wage theft first-hand: he got a wage theft settlement after working at Walmart for a summer. — The Largest Theft of All Time 00:03:26
- Pissing Out Cancer: Hank's stand-up comedy show about having cancer (2023) — 15 videos over 2 years
- first, 2023-10-06: Hank says he will fill the time: he had two bizarre but not terrible business ideas during chemotherapy and did cancer stand-up comedy before finishing radiation. — I Quit 00:06:21
- latest, 2025-12-12: With the year passed, Hank uploaded his special Pissing Out Cancer to Hank's channel yesterday. — The Economics of a YouTube White Noise Video 00:05:23
- John watches AFC Wimbledon beat the Milton Keynes franchise with a last-minute goal at Plough Lane (2024) — 2 videos over 2 years
- first, 2024-03-05: In the last minute, John's friend Lex was filming what seemed the end of the game, but it was not; John then plays the moment in commentator Mikey T's voice, calling a chance for Ronan Curtis and crying go, go Wimbledon. — THE BEST DAY 00:02:22
- latest, 2026-10-06: John assures Hank the ball boy was fine: John saw him a few weeks ago and he said it was the best moment of his life. — Make Your Art. 00:02:11
Most-told stories
By year of telling
How much each brother told about his life in each year, and how many stories began or were told again. Only the brothers' statements are counted here (a statement by both counts in both columns); the counts follow how many videos there were and how long they ran.
| year | John (sincere) | Hank (sincere) | playful / joke | stories first told | retellings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 192 | 219 | 396 | 85 | 15 |
| 2008 | 72 | 100 | 133 | 28 | 1 |
| 2009 | 85 | 72 | 122 | 31 | 4 |
| 2010 | 131 | 97 | 149 | 46 | 7 |
| 2011 | 140 | 132 | 115 | 41 | 22 |
| 2012 | 105 | 63 | 100 | 35 | 10 |
| 2013 | 123 | 84 | 73 | 30 | 9 |
| 2014 | 127 | 75 | 88 | 30 | 11 |
| 2015 | 128 | 61 | 102 | 39 | 9 |
| 2016 | 156 | 98 | 70 | 47 | 13 |
| 2017 | 197 | 133 | 70 | 27 | 17 |
| 2018 | 133 | 115 | 90 | 18 | 15 |
| 2019 | 195 | 111 | 66 | 18 | 18 |
| 2020 | 214 | 116 | 52 | 10 | 23 |
| 2021 | 205 | 91 | 72 | 9 | 13 |
| 2022 | 150 | 106 | 68 | 5 | 15 |
| 2023 | 236 | 230 | 124 | 14 | 37 |
| 2024 | 204 | 204 | 90 | 3 | 28 |
| 2025 | 201 | 190 | 94 | 5 | 25 |
| 2026 | 281 | 244 | 79 | 5 | 23 |
Limits of this view
The analyses record when a story was told, not when it happened, and have no explicit link from a story to the point it supports. Backstory periods are read from the wording; story-to-argument pairs are by position in the video. Coverage ends in 2026, so retellings after that are missing.