Backstory: told after the fact

Things the brothers tell about an earlier part of their lives, ordered by when it happened and dated by when it was told. The period comes from the wording itself (a year, an age, "in high school", "years ago"), because the analyses do not record when an event took place; anything said without such a cue is not here.

587 sincere statements and story tellings found. Childhood: 82 · Middle and high school: 58 · College, chaplaincy and twenties: 68 · Dated earlier years: 198 · Some time ago (no date given): 181

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).

Childhood (82)

childhood · told 2007-01-02 by John: John says the parents' house is pretty and surrounds him with memories of their childhood. — Brotherhood 2.0: January 2nd 00:00:03
as a kid · told 2007-08-16 by Hank: Hank thinks he may have had Ninja Turtle Shrinky Dinks as a kid. (hedged) — Re: Vlog 6: Secret Siblinghood! 00:01:22
childhood · told 2007-10-25 by Hank: Hank is at his dad's house in Fairview, North Carolina, surrounded by childhood memories, with a big box of 'everything that ever mattered' in his life. · story: Hank goes through his box of childhood keepsakes at their dad's house (2007) — October 25th: Down Memory Lane 00:00:10
childhood · told 2007-10-29 by Hank: Hank instead found a snippet of John's childhood to share with Nerdfighters, of special interest to readers of Looking for Alaska: 'John Green's fifth book', It Just Isn't Fair. · story: Hank finds and reads John's childhood book 'It Just Isn't Fair' (2007) — October 29th: It Just Isn't Fair 00:00:51
childhood · told 2007-11-02 by Hank: Hank says that after reading John's childhood book It Just Isn't Fair on Monday, he discovered it received the Orange County Public Schools Young Authors Award. · story: Hank shows Dad's home video of eight-year-old John at the Orange County Young Authors Award (2007) — November 2nd: John Green at the Young Author's Award 00:00:43
elementary school · told 2007-11-02 by Hank: Hank shows their dad's home video of the winners' conference: John and a girl as Audubon Park Elementary's two winners, then children reading their books in writers' groups. · story: Hank shows Dad's home video of eight-year-old John at the Orange County Young Authors Award (2007) — November 2nd: John Green at the Young Author's Award 00:01:12
childhood · told 2007-11-26 by John: When Mom and Dad visited for Thanksgiving they brought three boxes of John's childhood stuff, including an Eagles Nest Camp T-shirt from 1987. — Nov. 26th: Writing Advice (And Notes on Surnameless Tiffany) 00:00:00
third grade · told 2008-02-14 by John: John says the only Valentine's Day he fully enjoyed was in third grade, when everyone had to make valentines for everyone and was nice to him. — The Puff Pwns Gravity 00:03:01
as a child · told 2009-01-27 by John: John found a book he wrote as a child, 'The Best New Years Resolution Ever: Happy New Year Streamers', during his office reorganization and reads it. · story: John finds and reads a picture book he wrote as a child, 'Happy New Year Streamers' (2009) — Before Looking for Alaska… 00:00:13
childhood · told 2009-11-12 by Hank: Answering a prompt from Natalie (Community Channel), Hank shows his favourite childhood toy, Dexter, a stuffed ferret he slept with every day from age six to fifteen. — On a Plane - On the Ground 00:01:14
when i was a little · told 2009-11-15 by John: John's favourite book as a little kid was Gus Is a Bug, about a caterpillar named Gus; in retrospect it was teaching that the letter U can sound 'uh'. — Gus Is A Bug 00:00:00
growing up · told 2009-12-16 by Hank: Hank says the brothers' dad worked for the Nature Conservancy when they were growing up, as its Florida State Director. — Project for Awesome: The Nature Conservancy 00:00:33
as a child · told 2010-06-21 by John: John recalls learning as a child at the Orlando Science Center planetarium that the Earth will end, his first grappling with the temporary habitability of the universe. — You're Gonna Die 00:00:24
childhood · told 2010-07-26 (said on 2010-07-24, implied) by Hank: At Splash Montana, quaint and tiny by the standards of Hank's Florida childhood, they mostly lounged, Katherine ate a taco-topped bag of Doritos, and they rode slides. · story: Hank films his Missoula Saturday for YouTube's Life in a Day (2010) — Hank's Life in a Day 00:02:21
childhood · told 2010-12-29 by John: John woke in the Yeti's childhood bedroom, found Henry removing trash from a trash can, and the family had to drive from Birmingham back to Indianapolis. · story: John's family drives from Birmingham back home to Indianapolis (December 2010) — Baby on the Road: Thoughts from Places 00:00:00
as kids · told 2013-01-15 by John: John says the first thing he and Hank liked together as kids was They Might Be Giants, and they sing TMBG's cover of a song about New York City. — An Evening of Awesome at Carnegie Hall 02:43:06
growing up · told 2013-04-19 by Hank: Hank writes that growing up, the cultural stigma around homosexuality (not at home) was so severe that he feared he was gay over tiny signs like enjoying Village People music. — On Sexual Orientation, with Hannah, Ze, Tyler, and Meg 00:00:00
childhood · told 2013-11-29 by both: They show childhood family photos from the albums in the room they are in, including John giving Hank a bear hug. — REUNION! Arm Wrestling, Drawing, and Questions with Hank and John! 00:01:04
childhood · told 2014-09-12 by Hank: Hank goes through his childhood and high-school keepsakes while clearing his bookshelf, from teenage art to an undeposited check from John. · story: Hank sorts his childhood and high-school keepsakes while clearing his shelves to move house (2014) — Hanging with High School Hank 00:00:02
when i was a young · told 2014-11-04 by John: Commenting on Hank's video, John says that as a young person he missed several elections important to American history, mostly because he was nervous and didn't know how to vote. — Mustaches and Movies: Day One of Paper Towns 00:01:38
childhood · told 2015-03-03 by John: John says he recently discovered a box of childhood memorabilia, unexplored for at least 10 years, and will find out what's inside. · story: John opens his box of childhood memorabilia and his baby book (2015) — What's in the Box in the Box in the Box? 00:00:01
growing up · told 2015-03-20 by Hank: Hank says that growing up he went to many shows at grimy little venues full of strangers and found them scary pretty much every time. · story: Hank goes to shows at grimy little venues growing up and learns crowds are kind (youth) — A Sacrifice of Individuality and the Internets 00:03:13
as a kid · told 2015-04-28 by John: As a kid John loved novelizations, especially The Goonies novelization, which felt fresh because he knew the movie so well, and he loved working out why the writer changed things to make the story work as text. — Is the Paper Towns Movie Like the Book? Thoughts on Adaptations 00:00:42
as a kid · told 2016-02-26 by John: John wanted to be a writer as a kid but never thought it was a realistic job, likening it to wanting to be an astronaut. — Things You Don't Know About Us (REUNION!) 00:00:56
childhood · told 2016-02-26 by John: The book John has reread most is probably Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, counting his childhood. (hedged) — Things You Don't Know About Us (REUNION!) 00:03:04
growing up · told 2016-06-14 by John: John says growing up in Orlando always felt like everyone was just visiting for the theme parks, and he still says he is from Alabama though he moved there at 14. · story: John grows up in Orlando but never feels at home there; says he is from Alabama (childhood) — Orlando 00:00:04
growing up · told 2017-05-16 by John: John says their dad is a documentary filmmaker who, while they grew up, made films on everything from water in Florida to education in Alaska. — The Introducer, My Childhood Dream Job 00:00:02
as a kid · told 2017-05-16 by John: John recalls cable channels like Turner Classic Movies where a host introduced each old film with context; as a kid his dream job was to be such an introducer, but of documentaries. — The Introducer, My Childhood Dream Job 00:01:00
as a kid · told 2017-05-16 by John: As a kid John's favourite genre was the nature documentary: animals fighting to survive, a magical glimpse into a world without us, almost never with humans in frame. — The Introducer, My Childhood Dream Job 00:02:02
elementary school · told 2017-06-20 by Hank: Hank says he first saw snow fall at 9 or 10 and was astonished, having thought snowflakes were like elementary-school paper cut-outs, a made-up idea. — FIRST! Green Brothers Reunited Again 00:02:12
as a kid · told 2018-07-31 by John: John says leaving his phone feels like getting out, not off; even as a kid on phone calls with friends he felt he was in a disembodied space with them. — On Prepositions 00:02:35
as a kid · told 2018-09-04 by John: John's parents introduced him to the strategy as a kid; he has found it very helpful though hard to implement minute by minute, and will keep trying. — The Eisenhower Matrix 00:03:18
as a kid · told 2018-09-25 by John: As a kid John often dreamt of the moment at the end of Back to the Future when George McFly opens a box of finished copies of his book. — You Did It! 00:02:26
growing up · told 2018-11-01 by Hank: Hank never had student loans because his grandfather ran businesses and was wealthy; his family was not wealthy but had a safety net his friends lacked, and he has always felt guilty about it. — Should I Feel Guilty? 00:01:49
kindergarten · told 2018-11-20 by John: John names big causes for celebration, like his daughter going to kindergarten. — Cause for Celebration 00:00:58
childhood · told 2018-12-11 by John: John found an English-language version of the service, which changed his life: he made friends, including many of the most important friendships of his childhood. · story: John's family gets the internet; CompuServe brings him friends, first love and a moderating job (early 1990s) — When the Internet Came Home 00:00:58
as a kid · told 2019-06-11 by John: John was way too into scratch-and-sniff stickers as a kid, an early sign of his fascination with virtualized experience, but only understood their chemistry by writing about them. — Why I Haven't Written a New Book 00:03:01
as a child · told 2020-01-14 by Hank: Asked the most foolish thing he did as a child, Hank remembers getting in a lot of trouble for throwing glass bottles off their fort. — Foolish · Beautiful 00:00:31
as a kid · told 2020-01-31 by Hank: Hank says as a kid he was frustrated that, though we knew the galaxy's size and our place in it, no one could tell him how many stars are in the sky. — How Many Stars are in the Sky? 00:00:00
as a kid · told 2020-02-11 by John: As a kid John took a comedian's joke, that jogging extends life by exactly the minutes spent jogging, as a reason not to exercise; now, even if it were true, which it isn't, he'd still run. · story: John's teenage mistreatment of his body and later quitting smoking and running (c. 1993-2005) — 1,100 Days: A Mental and Physical Health Update 00:03:24
childhood · told 2020-03-10 by Hank: Asked his first memory of John, Hank says his memories are not chronological, but recalls John hitting a tree during childhood tackle football and getting a concussion; the tree bent. — A Strong but Fleeting Flavor: A Reunion Video 00:00:30
as kids · told 2020-06-26 by Hank: Hank reminds John that as kids at the beach he stepped on a dead Portuguese man o' war and was in pain for a full day. — You Might as Well Swim! 00:00:29
when they were young · told 2020-08-03 by John: About ten years before the first Esther Day, the picture was taken on a trip to the Grand Canyon, when they were young and full of hope and strong opinions. — you're bundled up now? wait till you get older. 00:01:41
when i was a kid · told 2020-10-06 by Hank: From roughly age 15 to 25, Hank was fascinated by who makes these rules. (hedged) — Something Important I've Never Talked About 00:00:41
childhood · told 2020-10-09 by John: John says Rax hosted a huge share of the brothers' childhood: he can still picture a Rax's exact layout, including the quasi-greenhouse room off its side. · story: Hank and John grow up going to Rax restaurants (childhood) — The Rax Guy 00:00:29
as a kid · told 2020-10-09 by John: John's first remembered obsessive experience was the worry that no one else on Earth was a real person like him, but aliens in human costumes; it tortured him for years as a kid. · story: Hank and John grow up going to Rax restaurants (childhood) — The Rax Guy 00:02:20
childhood · told 2021-01-05 by John: John recalls Hank's video detailing what 10-year-old Hank thought would happen before 2020. · story: 10-year-old Hank writes an essay and timeline predicting life up to 2020 (1990) — SUPERIOR FISH BEINGS 00:00:00
when i was young · told 2021-06-29 by John: Until recently John thought of the internet and IRL as fundamentally separate; when young, he liked the internet precisely because it was not IRL. — Sneezing is not normal. 00:03:31
as a kid · told 2021-08-24 by John: As a kid John looked at his dad's shoes and marvelled that they were ten years old and still fit. — It's My Birthday. I Gave Myself This Video. 00:03:06
when i was young · told 2021-11-02 by John: When young, John thought he could solve death by writing books that would outlast him, but realized that is a fool's errand: books don't live forever either. — enough 00:01:30
when he was a kid · told 2022-01-11 by John: Diseases are still often cast as divine retribution: John remembers people on TV, when he was a kid, saying HIV was sent by God to punish gay people. — The Fault in Our Stars - Ten Years Later 00:01:56
when i was a kid · told 2022-01-11 by John: John's dad had cancer twice when John was a kid, so he saw people keep their distance though it wasn't contagious, and invent reasons for his dad's cancer to reassure themselves. — The Fault in Our Stars - Ten Years Later 00:02:26
as a kid · told 2023-04-18 by John: John says Bill had serious speech challenges as a kid and adapted by developing masterful pauses, so listeners leaned forward for his punchline or observation. — goodbye to my friend 00:00:55
as a kid · told 2023-05-19 by Hank: Hank has several lymphoma risk factors (medications, an autoimmune disease, mono as a kid), so he had been watching for it and is glad it was taken seriously. — So, I've got cancer 00:03:50
as a child · told 2023-05-23 by John: John has seen illness and humor coexist many times: as a chaplain, as a child, and during his own serious health problems. · story: John's time as a student chaplain at a children's hospital (c. 2000) — Rough Week 00:01:08
when they were little · told 2023-08-03 by John: John says their dad had cancer twice when they were little, which had a huge impact on his life and theirs. — I love you, Hank. Happy Esther Day. 00:01:59
as a child · told 2023-09-14 by John: John recalls a memoir by a woman who had TB as a child in mid-20th-century US sanatoriums until streptomycin saved her; going home, she had forgotten being touched with love. · story: John reads widely about tuberculosis and 19th-century illness (2022) — Talking Tuberculosis, GeneXpert, J&J, and more with MY HEROES 00:48:37
as a kid · told 2023-12-24 by John: John says he wanted to be a writer as a kid but never thought it a realistic job, like wanting to be an astronaut. — John and Hank Hanging Out but they Keep Getting Younger and More Pixelated 01:10:07
childhood · told 2024-04-09 by John: 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. · story: Hank and John grow up going to Rax restaurants (childhood) — Hank and John Reunited WITH RAX 00:02:16
as a kid · told 2024-10-25 by Hank: Hank recalls getting strep a lot as a kid and clearly remembers having his throat swabbed to test him. — I Don't Want them to Get Away With It… 00:00:12
growing up · told 2025-04-04 by Hank: Hank says that growing up morality was a kind of dirty word to him: not kindness, honesty or fairness, but rules about hair length, forbidden words and judging whom you love or which god you believe in. — Morality 00:00:00
when i was young · told 2025-05-16 by Hank: Hank says he and everyone around him got the measles vaccine when young, so he has never had measles and probably never will. (hedged) — No One Knows When They Don't Die 00:00:00
when i was a kid · told 2025-06-24 by John: When John was a kid every indoor space smelled of smoke; he remembers people smoking on airplanes and at church. — Am I Cigarettes? 00:02:23
as a kid · told 2025-06-27 by Hank: Hank has never smoked a cigarette: he was so scared of addiction as a kid, which he finds wild given how he uses the social internet. — You’re Not Addicted to Content, You’re Starving for Information 00:00:00
childhood · told 2025-06-27 by Hank: Hank recalls a TV ad in Florida from his childhood: businessmen around a dying man lament losing their most loyal customer, then the camera pans to a young person in the hallway. — You’re Not Addicted to Content, You’re Starving for Information 00:11:21
when they were kids · told 2025-07-22 by John: John says his dad was the state director of the Nature Conservancy when they were kids, and critics derided him as a tree hugger, as if he thought trees mattered more than people. — At Least There Are Trees 00:00:28
as a kid · told 2026-02-13 by John: John recalls seeing Kurt Vonnegut speak in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, as a kid: told by security he could not smoke in the room, Vonnegut said, 'I can smoke or I can leave.' — Project for Awesome 2026 Kickoff! 07:11:23
as a kid · told 2026-02-14 by Hank: As a kid Hank played Dino Park Tycoon and failed over and over until he built a bigger parking lot, which the game never told him was too small. — Project for Awesome 2026 part 3! 02:39:32
growing up · told 2026-03-03 by John: John's college story Things Remembered, Things Forgotten, about his grandmother growing up in eastern Tennessee, aimed for Vonnegut's style; his professor found the title so bad he proposed banning John's titles. — The Best Fan Mail I Ever Received 00:02:49
third grade · told 2026-03-03 by John: In third grade John wrote a story about death, It Just Isn't Fair, and won the Audubon Park Young Author Award for 1986. · story: Hank shows Dad's home video of eight-year-old John at the Orange County Young Authors Award (2007) — The Best Fan Mail I Ever Received 00:05:03
childhood · told 2026-05-05 by John: John marks Hank's 46th birthday: he was born 46 years ago today and survived childhood scarlet fever and other illnesses that a century earlier might have killed him. · story: Hank's childhood scarlet fever — Noted Brother Hank Green 00:00:03
as a child · told 2026-05-08 by Hank: As John said in his Tuesday video, Hank had scarlet fever as a child: another potential death day behind him that he never thinks about. · story: Hank's childhood scarlet fever — My Deathday 00:04:52
childhood · told 2026-08-25 by John: John would not exist: he had childhood staph infections that would have killed him without antibiotics. — The Great Thing about Infectious Disease 00:02:26
childhood · told 2026-09-01 by John: About a year ago, walking through a department store, John caught a whiff that for a moment transported him back to his boarding-school dorm room, on the couch with his roommate. — You Can't Go Home Again, but I Tried 00:00:00
childhood · told 2026-09-04 by Hank: Hank thanks John for helping design the scent of the Memory soap, which reminds Hank of their dad's shaving cream from childhood. — This is a Terrible Idea… 00:06:28
age 6 · told 2023-10-24 by John: John tells of Mondeh, a child in Sierra Leone's rural Kono district, whose parents noticed a lump on his neck at about six, when he also became much more lethargic. — A Tale of Two Cancers 00:01:05
age 7 · told 2020-10-09 by John: The Rax Guy didn't cause John's OCD, which he would have had anyway, but he shaped the particular worry that took over John's life at seven and eight. · story: Hank and John grow up going to Rax restaurants (childhood) — The Rax Guy 00:02:49
age 9 · told 2010-08-13 by Hank: Hank tells how cutting his hand on terracotta at nine severed a tendon, leaving a constant ache that finally taught him right from left. · story: Hank's childhood hand injury, whose lasting pain taught him right from left — The Marvelous Mystery of The Dan 00:03:28
age 10 · told 2023-10-24 by John: John says the lump grew until Mondeh struggled to swallow and lost weight, over four years; at 10 he saw a Partners In Health doctor who suspected lymphoma, and a biopsy in the capital confirmed Hodgkin lymphoma. — A Tale of Two Cancers 00:01:58
age 11 · told 2017-01-03 by John: When the project started the brothers weren't close: John left for boarding school when Hank was 11, and they talked by phone maybe once a year; now at least twice a week. (hedged) — 10 Years on YouTube (...and MORE GREAT NEWS) 00:03:25
age 11 · told 2020-08-03 by John: John tells Hank he didn't know him well back then: he left for boarding school when Hank was 11 and didn't keep close to him. — you're bundled up now? wait till you get older. 00:02:20
age 11 · told 2026-05-05 by John: John left for boarding school when Hank was 11 and they have never lived in the same city since; he knew Hank as a little brother tagging along, not as a person. — Noted Brother Hank Green 00:01:03

Middle and high school (58)

from high school · told 2007-01-17 by Hank: Hank spent two hours the previous night talking online with a libertarian high-school friend, who says nuclear power plants should not be regulated; Hank doesn't know what happened to him. — Brotherhood 2.0: January 17th 00:00:10
ninth grade · told 2007-01-26 by John: John thinks his first concert was The Cure in ninth grade, with a friend; he liked The Cure a lot. (hedged) — Brotherhood 2.0: January 26, 2007 00:02:00
from high school · told 2008-10-24 by Hank: John told Hank the Florida nerdfighter event had a fantastic atmosphere; Hank's best friend from high school and John's elementary-school best friends were there. — Talking to Myself 00:02:27
from middle school · told 2009-01-13 by John: John says that while reorganizing his office he found a beanie and a notebook of journal entries from middle school, during the first Gulf War, that he does not remember writing. · story: John finds and reads his middle-school journal (2009) — Beanie John's Love Advice 00:00:00
from high school · told 2009-01-20 by Hank: Hank goes through a gigantic journal from high school, including fancy drawings of organic compounds, one maybe the first step of the Krebs cycle. (hedged) · story: Hank reads his high-school journal (2009) — Hank's Journal!!! 00:00:00
in high school · told 2009-01-20 by Hank: Hank finds his songwriting is older than he thought: he wrote far more songs in high school than he realised. — Hank's Journal!!! 00:01:09
his high school · told 2009-11-17 by John: Asked whether Ben in Paper Towns is based on someone from his high school, John says the character is based on himself. — Question Tuesday: The Free Money Edition 00:00:00
his high school · told 2010-08-06 (said on 2010-08-04, implied) by John: Being up anyway, John drove to his high school alma mater, Indian Springs School. · story: John revisits his high school, Indian Springs School, the setting of Looking for Alaska (2010) — Looking for Alaska at My High School 00:00:16
in high school · told 2011-03-25 (said on 2011-03-24, implied) by Hank: Hank says that at soundcheck the night before he filmed, Jason Finn, drummer of The Presidents of the United States of America, a band he geeked out about in high school, drummed along to 'I'm Gonna Kill You'. · story: Hank's mini Pacific Northwest tour with Paul and Storm and Mike Phirman (March 2011) — Hank is an Adorable, Drunk Princess 00:01:10
in high school · told 2011-07-04 by John: In high school John worked in a hot warehouse loading stereo equipment into semi trucks ('manual labor Tetris') for $7.50 an hour, not a living wage unless someone else pays your living costs. — How to Turn Your Dumb Summer Job Into $162,000 00:00:21
eighth grade · told 2012-04-17 by John: John says that when he first saw the Yeti she was in eighth grade, and he did not think he was going to marry her. — Thoughts on Romance and Sex in an Airport 00:01:38
my high school · told 2012-08-14 by John: After time with author friends including Maureen Johnson, John read at the 'I Was a Teenage Author' panel a story about an injured firefly he wrote for his high-school literary journal. · story: John's LeakyCon 2012 in Chicago and his walk to the Bean (2012) — To Be Anything At All: Thoughts from Places, Chicago and LeakyCon 2012 00:01:02
my high school · told 2013-01-15 by Hank: Hank says he had a crush on his junior-year high-school English teacher, who is now a Nerdfighter taking part in the Project for Awesome and the comments. — An Evening of Awesome at Carnegie Hall 01:53:19
seventh grade · told 2013-11-19 by John: A student at the middle school John attended in seventh grade wrote on Tumblr that a teacher of his remembered him as quiet, unique and miserable, bullied because of his awesomeness. · story: John is miserable and bullied in middle school (childhood) — On Middle School Misery 00:00:28
in middle school · told 2013-11-19 by John: John tells of being a quiet, miserable 'stupid nerd' bullied in middle school, fantasizing about revenge, and surviving through others' kindness, prompted by a message from a student at his old school. · story: John is miserable and bullied in middle school (childhood) — On Middle School Misery 00:01:17
from high school · told 2014-07-18 by Hank: When Hank IMed John in July and John replied, both were punished and dressed up like their most embarrassing high-school pictures. · story: The brothers' accidental instant-message exchange that breaks the no-textual-communication rule (2007) — EVERY VLOGBROTHERS PUNISHMENT! 00:00:53
his high school · told 2014-09-12 by Hank: A 1997 letter shows Hank was selected as one of the Willy Wildcat personalities: he was a mascot at his high school. — Hanging with High School Hank 00:01:51
in high school · told 2015-02-24 by John: John says he was a terrible high-school student and is still embarrassed about it 20 years later; he missed classes that were early or clashed with smoking cigarettes in the woods. · story: John's poor grades and skipped classes in high school, from his 1994 report cards — Who I Was in High School 00:01:30
in high school · told 2015-02-24 by John: John says he was a much better student in college than in high school. · story: John's poor grades and skipped classes in high school, from his 1994 report cards — Who I Was in High School 00:02:51
in high school · told 2016-01-12 by John: As an extreme example, John says he read The Great Gatsby in high school and thought it was crap, which wasn't the book's fault. — Zero Severed Hands: On Star Wars and Making Things 00:03:03
in high school · told 2016-02-16 by John: In high school John felt he had to create ironic distance from the world to survive, dismissing bands and authors Hank liked. — Kindness 00:01:50
in high school · told 2016-08-23 by John: John says he played Ultimate Frisbee in high school to get out of his physical education requirement. — The Ocho! Sports I Want on TV 00:02:09
since high school · told 2016-12-27 by John: John's second memory: Sarah's cousin's wedding in Portland, Oregon; he'd known the groom since high school, laughed and cried, watched his kids watch, then saw a Portland Timbers game. · story: Sarah's cousin's wedding in Portland, Oregon, followed by a Portland Timbers game (2016) — The Best of My 2016 00:01:23
since high school · told 2017-10-17 by John: Watching Hank perform at his old high school, John thinks of Hank's kindness: a month away from family and jobs to tour with him, his Twitter profile turned into turtles, and constant support since high school; John is lucky and grateful. — Look at Tiny Baby Hank 00:01:56
ninth grade · told 2018-05-08 by John: In ninth grade John played Nine Inch Nails' Pretty Hate Machine loudly; his dad borrowed the CD despite the warning it was 'super alternative', found it compelling and bought his own copy. · story: John's dad borrows John's Nine Inch Nails CD and buys his own copy (John's ninth grade) — Old Man Yells at Cloud 00:01:09
in high school · told 2019-08-16 by Hank: Hank did a lot of bad stuff in high school knowing the risk was small, and thought back then that he was just good at getting away with stuff. — ...Not My Proudest Moment 00:01:25
in high school · told 2019-08-20 by Hank: One brother wore contact lenses for a while in high school, but they hurt his eyes; he doesn't like how he looks without glasses. — Hank and John's Smooth Airport Reunion 00:01:09
his high school · told 2020-01-10 by Hank: Last time Hank's copy editor was Mary Beth Constant, the valedictorian of his high school class, maybe the weirdest coincidence of his life; he hopes to get her again. — The Thing I would Like to End 00:01:58
in high school · told 2020-06-23 by John: Once in high school a friend called the fireflies lovely; John replied that they were a little lame, and she asked what was wrong with him. — You'll Never Shine if You Don't Glow 00:01:27
his middle school · told 2020-06-30 by John: At 12 John was on his middle school soccer team; he was terrible and rarely played. — i like it 00:01:59
sixth grade · told 2021-09-14 by John: John has been making Vlogbrothers videos for almost 15 years: since the George W. Bush administration, before the iPhone, before his children, one now in sixth grade. — I do this every. single. tuesday. 00:00:00
in high school · told 2021-10-06 by John: In high school John saw Kurt Vonnegut lecture; mostly he remembers Vonnegut smoking in the auditorium and, told he couldn't, replying in effect that he had already been paid. — Searching for Betsy in Brazil 00:01:34
from high school · told 2022-03-01 (said on 2022-02-27, implied) by John: Eight days earlier John learned that one of his close friends from high school had died. — Hard Week 00:00:25
since high school · told 2022-05-06 by Hank: Sometimes Hank tweets something he has believed since high school and people say he has changed; he has, but not on that. — Why I Didn't Quit YouTube (yet) 00:00:58
from high school · told 2023-01-27 by Hank: Hank says a few years ago they set out to help US students bridge from high school to college, starting by researching their barriers and talking with people in higher education. — An Announcement 3 Years in the Making 00:00:50
in high school · told 2023-06-16 by Hank: In high school Hank thought of himself as a bit of a punk, listened to the Dead Milkmen, Rancid, Operation Ivy and The Clash, and did not want a normal life as a businessman or lawyer. — So, About This HAIR… 00:02:02
teenager · told 2023-07-18 by John: John recalls that as a teenager the 'Andre the Giant has a posse' stickers brought him joy: he loved the idea that Andre had people with him and would no longer be marginalized for his size. — Tuberculosis Fighters Have a Posse 00:04:52
in high school · told 2023-11-03 by Hank: Hank says that in high school he was obsessed with Gordon Gano and Helen Hunt. — We Need to talk about Sarapocial Relationships 00:00:00
his high school · told 2024-10-02 by Hank: The same day, on crowded Madison Avenue, Hank ran into his high school ex-girlfriend from Orlando. — What I learned from the weirdest day of my life 00:00:58
in high school · told 2024-12-13 by Hank: Hank says he remembers having an internal monologue in high school and college, with strings of words running through his head all the time. — TIL Some People Have an 'Inner Monologue' 00:01:57
in middle school · told 2025-10-07 by John: In middle school John was passionate about soccer and practiced all the time but was not good, lacking the physical coordination. — Luck vs. Work vs. Skill vs. Privilege 00:01:27
their high school · told 2026-02-10 by John: John says Daniel always looked cool to him and was one of their high school's best soccer players on a state-finalist team in Alabama, while John didn't make the team. — I Was a Teenage Dirtbag 00:01:00
from high school · told 2026-02-10 by John: John says a friend from high school died last year (2025), and since then he has been thinking about how lucky he was to go to that school with those people, and how difficult that time was. — I Was a Teenage Dirtbag 00:02:22
since high school · told 2026-02-13 by John: John says Sarah printed a book of the emails they wrote each other in the two years they were close friends before dating; they had known each other since high school. — Project for Awesome 2026 Kickoff! 02:00:39
at boarding school · told 2026-03-03 by John: John shows the beanie he got in 11th grade and wore constantly at boarding school, unsure then whether it was ironic; four stars. — The Best Fan Mail I Ever Received 00:02:25
in high school · told 2026-07-17 by Hank: A Hank-specific sign: people tell him he helped them in high school, and one said they had watched the Vlogbrothers video uploaded the day they were born. — The Terrors of Middle Age 00:01:14
in high school · told 2026-08-03 by John: At his wedding, at his kids' births, or watching a sunset, John has thought how unfair it is that a friend who died in high school never gets such days. — Esther Day 2026: Some Thoughts on Loss 00:00:29
teenager · told 2026-08-25 by John: 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. · story: John reads widely about tuberculosis and 19th-century illness (2022) — The Great Thing about Infectious Disease 00:03:24
teenager · told 2026-10-20 by John: Earlier this year (2026) in the Philippines John met a teenager just diagnosed with TB who was told no treatment was available because of drug stockouts; every drug in his proposed regimen is over 60 years old. — Correcting a Mistake in Everything Is Tuberculosis · 50 x 50 Science 00:07:18
age 13 · told 2026-02-15 by John: When John was 13 he got a key to the house as his present, so he could come home and let himself in as a latchkey child. — Project for Awesome 2026 part 5! 02:24:20
age 14 · told 2014-03-25 by John: John says their parents owned Ian Shoales's tape 'I Gotta Go'; when John was about 14 and Hank 11 they listened to it constantly, hundreds of times. · story: John and Hank listen to Ian Shoales's tape 'I Gotta Go' as kids (childhood) — I Gotta Go: Signing Off and Thinking about Inspiration 00:01:27
age 14 · told 2018-05-08 by John: From age 14 until a few years ago the social internet gave John deep, meaningful relationships he struggled to find IRL; now it mostly makes him anxious and spirally without deepening connection. — Old Man Yells at Cloud 00:01:52
age 14 · told 2025-06-24 by John: John started smoking at 14 and smoked compulsively until his late 20s, 30 or 40 cigarettes a day, even waking at 3 a.m. to smoke to calm himself down. · story: John's teenage mistreatment of his body and later quitting smoking and running (c. 1993-2005) — Am I Cigarettes? 00:00:05
age 14 · told 2025-06-24 by John: As a 14-year-old wearing a trench coat every day in Orlando, Florida, John needed the internet before it really existed; it gave him his life and livelihood. — Am I Cigarettes? 00:02:52
age 16 · told 2014-01-07 by John: John says Esther Earl was the brothers' friend and a Nerdfighter who died of cancer when she was sixteen. · story: Death of Nerdfighter Esther Earl, John's friend (2010) — Warm Things for Cold Times 00:00:40
age 16 · told 2020-08-03 by John: John says Esther died just a few weeks later at 16; she would be in her mid-20s now, and he thinks about her and misses her a lot. · story: Death of Nerdfighter Esther Earl, John's friend (2010) — you're bundled up now? wait till you get older. 00:00:41
age 16 · told 2026-06-23 by John: Their dad took John, then 16, to the 1994 World Cup, which turned him into a soccer fan; Hank, not interested, didn't go. — A Very French Reunion 00:06:05
age 16 · told 2026-10-30 by Hank: In Hank's mind the most normal year was around 1996, when he was 16, which he says is no surprise. — The Last Normal Year 00:00:00

College, chaplaincy and twenties (68)

in college · told 2007-03-28 by Hank: Agreeing with viewers that he has good posters, Hank says he decided in college always to keep one room decorated like a dorm room: now the office where he makes the videos and works. — March 28th: Taxes 00:01:39
chaplain · told 2008-07-08 (said on 2008-07-07, implied) by John: 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. · story: John's Steak 'n Shake graveyard shift versus his lower-paid Booklist job after college (2008) — Hank Tried to Kill Me With a Hammer 00:00:43
kenyon · told 2008-08-06 by John: John says he attended Kenyon for college and Indian Springs School for high school. — Question Tuesday Returns (on a Wednesday) 00:01:10
in college · told 2008-09-25 (said on 2008-09-24, implied) by Hank: Hank says he watched the Llama Song about 400 times in college, and that he contacted its British creator, who approved the parody as long as it is pro-Obama. — Obama llama Duck 00:00:45
graduate school · told 2009-09-20 (said on 2009-09-21, implied) by John: John says Hank started EcoGeek in graduate school and it has grown into a business. — Health Care Reform: The Hank Factor 00:00:00
chaplain · told 2010-08-27 by John: Before writing books John worked as a chaplain at a children's hospital, where his supervisor told him: don't just do something, stand there. — Rest In Awesome, Esther 00:01:24
in college · told 2010-09-27 (said on 2010-09-28, implied) by Hank: Hank says that in college he gave a long oral report on Leon Battista Alberti's Renaissance façades, mispronouncing 'façade' throughout; finding out was one of his most embarrassing moments. · story: Hank mispronounces 'façade' throughout a college oral presentation on Leon Battista Alberti (college) — Stop Embarrassing Yourself 00:02:53
after college · told 2011-01-21 by John: It meant more because John's first job after college was as a temp at Booklist, where on his first day he retyped the speeches from the first Printz Award reception. · story: John: how Looking for Alaska was written, revised and won the Printz Award (2006) — Looking for Alaska Five Years After the Printz Award 00:00:24
his college · told 2011-04-22 by Hank: End screen: Hank shows a photo from his college dorm room of John, just out of college, very skinny, throwing a dart. — 500,000 Subscribers (Almost...and Thank You) 00:03:44
chaplain · told 2011-06-20 by John: 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. · story: John's time as a student chaplain at a children's hospital (c. 2000) — On Religion 00:00:10
in college · told 2011-06-24 by John: In college John visited a Pentecostal church in rural Florida where a woman asked the pastor to pray for her sister, lost because she attended the Pentecostal church across the street. — On Religion (Redux) 00:01:06
after college · told 2011-08-31 by John: John says his son puked on his face last night and he slept about two hours, yet he ranks the night above almost every night of his first two years after college. — How to Become An Adult 00:00:55
after college · told 2011-08-31 by John: After college John worked a few months as a student chaplain at a children's hospital, then at Booklist, where 90% of his job was typing ten-digit codes; older coworkers helped him with grown-up things. · story: John: how Looking for Alaska was written, revised and won the Printz Award (2006) — How to Become An Adult 00:01:37
student chaplain · told 2012-01-10 (said on 2012-01-09, implied) by John: John says that almost twelve years ago (c. 2000) he worked as a student chaplain at a children's hospital, the experience behind TFIOS. · story: John's time as a student chaplain at a children's hospital (c. 2000) — The Fault in Our Stars 00:00:28
kenyon · told 2012-02-21 by John: John says he went to Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, an undistinguished student who surrounded himself with smart people like Bruce (later a disastrous summer together in Moose Pass, Alaska) and Mary Fran. · story: John's friendship with Ransom Riggs, from their Kenyon College Ulysses class to Miss Peregrine (told 2012) — Life is Weird. Also beautiful. 00:00:02
in college · told 2012-02-21 by John: John says he spent more time on that final paper than anything else in college; he wrote on nationalism, Mary Fran on Molly Bloom, Bruce on the potato in Bloom's pocket, Randy on religious deconstructionism. — Life is Weird. Also beautiful. 00:00:39
from college · told 2012-02-21 by John: John says he graduated thinking he would become an Episcopal minister, while Mary Fran went to law school, Randy to film school and Bruce to become a musician. — Life is Weird. Also beautiful. 00:01:11
kenyon · told 2012-02-21 by John: 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. · story: John's friendship with Ransom Riggs, from their Kenyon College Ulysses class to Miss Peregrine (told 2012) — Life is Weird. Also beautiful. 00:01:39
chaplain · told 2012-04-24 by John: The hospital chapel reminded John of his chaplain days; they also saw the kitchen where patients' meals were cooked. — Beneath an Abandoned Hospital: Thoughts from Places 00:00:27
after college · told 2012-08-21 by John: After college John earned about $1 an hour less as an assistant at Booklist, but the job was better in every way: books, people who loved them, advancement, and in six years no vomit. · story: John's Steak 'n Shake graveyard shift versus his lower-paid Booklist job after college (2008) — Is College Worth It? 00:02:45
in college · told 2012-08-21 by John: In college John feared adulthood would bring more existential dread than frat parties did; instead he now feels much less aimlessness and nihilism. — Is College Worth It? 00:03:09
kenyon · told 2012-12-04 by John: John says he visited his alma mater Kenyon College, where he became a writer and an adult, a couple of weeks ago and made a Thoughts from Places video for Kenyon's channel. — Time for AWESOME 00:00:29
chaplain · told 2013-01-15 by John: John says at 22, accepted to the University of Chicago divinity school, he first spent six months as a children's hospital chaplain, where many sick kids died. · story: John's time as a student chaplain at a children's hospital (c. 2000) — An Evening of Awesome at Carnegie Hall 00:50:10
chaplain · told 2013-01-15 by John: John says faced with children's needless suffering he felt only anger and hopelessness, so he was a bad chaplain except to kids with game consoles, whom he could play at Mario Kart. · story: John's time as a student chaplain at a children's hospital (c. 2000) — An Evening of Awesome at Carnegie Hall 00:50:53
chaplain · told 2013-01-15 by John: John says after years of bad stories about a chaplain like himself, he wrote Looking for Alaska, about grief, and An Abundance of Katherines, about not being special. — An Evening of Awesome at Carnegie Hall 00:51:58
in college · told 2014-11-18 by Hank: In college Hank gave an oral presentation on Leon Battista Alberti and said 'fah-caid' for façade about 26 times, learning the right pronunciation from a friend afterwards. · story: Hank mispronounces 'façade' throughout a college oral presentation on Leon Battista Alberti (college) — How to Never Feel Embarrassed Again 00:00:34
in college · told 2014-12-23 by John: John recalls telling a college professor that constructed things aren't really real; the professor replied that a chair is constructed but would hurt if he hit John with it. · story: John's college professor: a constructed chair still hurts if he hits you with it (college) — Agloe, New York 00:01:30
graduate school · told 2015-06-30 by John: 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. · story: John sells the Looking for Alaska film rights for three times his salary, paying for his and Sarah's move to New York (2005) — Some News 00:02:39
his college · told 2015-07-28 by John: The Columbus crowd was amazing and asked great questions; John thought about how long ago his college days in Ohio felt. — Paper Towns, Agloe, and Touring: Thoughts from (Many) Places 00:02:42
kenyon · told 2016-05-24 by John: John says that over the weekend (21–22 May 2016) he and Sarah drove to Gambier, Ohio, where he delivered the commencement address at his alma mater, Kenyon College. · story: John gives the commencement address at Kenyon College, his alma mater (May 2016) — Easier Than IKEA: A Video in Two Parts 00:00:07
in college · told 2016-09-27 by John: 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. · story: John's friendship with Ransom Riggs, from their Kenyon College Ulysses class to Miss Peregrine (told 2012) — Books, Movies, and Wonder: Thoughts from a Red Carpet 00:01:05
chaplain · told 2018-08-07 by John: At the party they talked about Chris's time in the Peace Corps and John's time as a hospital chaplain, and about living on a street full of old people. — How I Made Friends 00:02:34
in college · told 2018-10-26 by Hank: Many in Hank's ultra-lefty college friend group went on assuming the Republican Party had defrauded democracy and Bush was an illegitimate president. — The Rigged Election 00:00:58
graduate school · told 2018-10-31 by John: John says he and Sarah, dating almost a year, got engaged that summer on the day she learned she would attend graduate school in New York City; he had thanked 'the lovely Sarah Urist' in the book. · story: John sells the Looking for Alaska film rights for three times his salary, paying for his and Sarah's move to New York (2005) — The Looking for Alaska Thing 00:00:20
grad school · told 2019-07-26 by Hank: Hank's true answer: in the roughly three years between losing his insurance after grad school and Obamacare, he spent a little over $10,000 on prescription drugs. · story: Hank: living with ulcerative colitis (2007) — The Best $10,000 I Ever Spent 00:00:29
his college · told 2019-08-20 by Hank: Hank liked all his college classes except physical chemistry. — Hank and John's Smooth Airport Reunion 00:00:33
after college · told 2020-03-06 by Hank: 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. · story: Hank's lonely first science job in a lab after graduating (told 2017) — I Did Not Get Leprosy! 00:00:00
in college · told 2020-06-09 by John: As a college junior John took a semester off for mental health problems, so he graduated late and watched his classmates graduate, happy for them but hurt and feeling like a disappointment. — i could use a little fuel myself 00:00:29
kenyon · told 2020-06-09 by John: When John graduated in December, Kenyon professor Donald Rogan, with other professors and friends, threw him an unofficial graduation at his home, with a brief commencement address and a fake diploma. — i could use a little fuel myself 00:00:58
in college · told 2020-08-03 by John: John's friend Ransom recently sent him pictures he took of John when they were in college together. — you're bundled up now? wait till you get older. 00:00:05
in college · told 2020-09-11 by Hank: Hank recalls that as a first-time voter in college he wondered whether to register at college or at his parents' house; he chose his parents' house. — If you don't go… 00:01:56
graduate school · told 2020-12-31 by John: Amy's book came out months before Looking for Alaska; then Sarah got into graduate school at Columbia and they moved to New York, and John and Amy kept in touch. — Auld Lang Syne: The Anthropocene Reviewed 00:12:20
student chaplain · told 2020-12-31 by John: When people we love suffer we want to make it better, but often we can't; John recalls his supervisor's words when he was a student chaplain at a children's hospital. · story: John's time as a student chaplain at a children's hospital (c. 2000) — Auld Lang Syne: The Anthropocene Reviewed 00:14:56
his college · told 2022-02-15 by John: Twain's late book Christian Science eviscerates religion and Mary Baker Eddy; John's complicated feelings led to his college thesis on it, and his parents gave him a first edition (worth about $60) at graduation. — My Most Valuable Books 00:01:27
his college · told 2022-02-15 by John: Instead of Strunk and White or the AP guide, John's style guide is Instruction Booklet by his college professor Perry Lentz, covering em dashes to lie and lay; he has much of it memorized. — My Most Valuable Books 00:02:26
his college · told 2022-03-22 by John: John wanted to prove his ex-girlfriend wrong for dumping him and his college creative writing professor wrong for saying he wasn't good enough to take his class. — Motivation in Hard Times 00:00:58
student chaplain · told 2022-05-03 by John: Half his life ago John worked as a student chaplain at a children's hospital and saw what he considers obscene: children dying, parents terrified for their kids and about paying medical bills. · story: John's time as a student chaplain at a children's hospital (c. 2000) — My Religion and My Banned Books 00:00:00
in college · told 2022-05-10 by John: John brought a print he likes, a Candide poster and a painting Sarah made in college, which he really loves. — An Attempt at Exhausting an Artwork in Cincinnati 00:00:00
in college · told 2022-09-30 by John: In college, at a diner in Mount Vernon, Ohio, a friend proposed seeing Graceland right now, and they paid and drove 11 hours straight there. — COMMIT TO THE BIT 00:01:35
graduate school · told 2022-12-27 by John: Amy's book came out months before Looking for Alaska; then Sarah got into graduate school at Columbia and they moved to New York, and John and Amy kept in touch. — We're here because were here. 00:11:53
student chaplain · told 2023-01-03 by John: John recalls that many years ago he worked as a student chaplain at a children's hospital. · story: John's time as a student chaplain at a children's hospital (c. 2000) — TAKE IT DOWN A NOTCH 00:01:56
in college · told 2023-01-17 by John: John says neither he nor Hank was a particularly amazing student, but Hank got really passionate in college and especially grad school. — John Green Answers the Most Searched Hank Green Questions 00:01:27
in college · told 2023-12-24 by Hank: Hank says that in college he wanted a job where he could get a mohawk at 40, and now he has one. · story: Hank's teenage wish to get a mohawk at 40 (high school) — John and Hank Hanging Out but they Keep Getting Younger and More Pixelated 01:03:00
graduate school · told 2023-12-30 by John: Amy's book came out months before Looking for Alaska; then Sarah got into graduate school at Columbia and they moved to New York, and John and Amy kept in touch. — John's Review of Auld Lang Syne 00:12:20
in college · told 2024-01-09 by John: In college John drove across the country with friends Ransom and Kathy to the Grand Canyon; watching the sunrise there, at 20 and after 1,800 miles, he was underwhelmed. — Views 00:01:37
in college · told 2024-09-26 by Hank: Hank says that in college he found old textbooks in the trash at semester's end and resold them on eBay, which might explain his obsession with trash. (hedged) — Something Very Strange Has Been Happening to Me 00:00:58
in college · told 2025-07-25 by Hank: Hank says he studied lignin in college, so he knows more about it than the average person. — The Molecule that Changed Everything 00:00:46
chaplain · told 2025-11-04 by John: John recalls being a hospital chaplain over half his life ago, the start of his obsession with why suffering is unjustly distributed. · story: John's time as a student chaplain at a children's hospital (c. 2000) — The Real Question 00:00:00
chaplain · told 2026-02-14 by John: John says that when he was a chaplain he was consumed by superstition, which was ironic because his Christianity was supposed to be against superstition. · story: John's time as a student chaplain at a children's hospital (c. 2000) — Project for Awesome 2026 part 3! 01:56:59
in college · told 2026-02-14 by Hank: Hank recalls Tom Lum confiding to him at a Mexican restaurant that in college he charmed people by doing mouth coils. — Project for Awesome 2026 part 3! 03:15:33
in college · told 2026-03-03 by John: John has every email he wrote in college, mostly to his parents but also to his college girlfriend after their breakup, desperate to reunite; he was clingier then than now. — The Best Fan Mail I Ever Received 00:05:33
in college · told 2026-06-05 by Hank: Hank notes that John studied Mark Twain in college. — The Things We Don't Discuss 00:06:39
in college · told 2026-07-07 by John: John says The Death of the Author was probably the most important essay he read in college. (hedged) — On the Death of the Author 00:03:26
age 23 · told 2023-10-17 by John: This takes John back to 2001 and 2002, when at 23 he wrote exactly what he wanted, which became Looking for Alaska. · story: John: how Looking for Alaska was written, revised and won the Printz Award (2006) — My Next Book 00:03:16
age 25 · told 2016-01-08 by Hank: Hank, now 35, says he expected someone his age to know who he is, but he does not. — Who Am I?! - Some thoughts on Personal Identity 00:00:47
age 26 · told 2016-10-28 by Hank: Hank says taking a break will be weird: he hasn't taken one from making videos in ten years, starting at 26 and now 36. — Give Me Your Tweets, I'll Give You My Phone · Last Video Before Leave! 00:00:07
age 28 · told 2018-10-31 by John: John recalls that Looking for Alaska was published in March 2005, when he was 28 and living in Chicago. — The Looking for Alaska Thing 00:00:15
age 30 · told 2021-08-24 by John: Personalities change too: at 30 John hated gardening, exercise and being outside and did not care about third-tier English football, and now he loves all of it. — It's My Birthday. I Gave Myself This Video. 00:03:35

Dated earlier years (198)

1952 · told 2025-03-25, 73 years later by John: John's favorite person on tour: Ken, a Philadelphia security guard born in a TB sanatorium in 1952, who survived TB as an infant because his mother crushed 90 pills a day into sugar water. — Taylor, Dr Pepper, and My Anxiety Strats: It's Question Tuesday 00:01:56
1960 · told 2021-12-01, 61 years later by John: Sarah combs through old magazines, many marketed to women in the 1960s and 1970s, and takes images and words from them to form collage poems. — Loving the Loves of Your Loves 00:00:29
1970 · told 2017-08-18, 47 years later by Hank: Hank says a lot changed for Mom in the 1970s as the civil rights movement happened and she went to college. — What I've Been Thinking About 00:00:17
1972 · told 2011-04-22, 39 years later by Hank: Hank recently learned the Narnia map was made in 1972 and sells on eBay for $80-100, so he will be more careful with it. — 500,000 Subscribers (Almost...and Thank You) 00:01:16
1980 · told 2016-01-29, 36 years later by Hank: Hank says he was born in 1980, the cutoff between Generation X and Millennials, and spends a lot of time with and thinking about young people, so it is unsurprising that he is sympathetic. — Why the Word "Millennial" Makes me Cringe 00:00:00
1980 · told 2020-10-09, 40 years later by John: Growing up in 1980s Orlando, from their Rax's greenhouse the brothers could see the house of the 'Rax Guy', whose fence signs called the government tyranny and pushed conspiracy theories about lizard people. · story: Hank and John grow up going to Rax restaurants (childhood) — The Rax Guy 00:01:21
1980 · told 2026-03-03, 46 years later by John: John recalls the 1980s child ID kits (fingerprints and details recorded in case of kidnapping): a big thing then that definitely freaked him out, though he doubts it helped anyone. — The Best Fan Mail I Ever Received 00:01:20
1984 · told 2018-09-18, 34 years later by John: At seven, in 1984, John was the oldest player on his Little League t-ball team, where the ball is placed on a tee rather than pitched. · story: John's 1984 tee-ball 'all-star in our hearts' trophy (2007) — On the Participation Trophy 00:00:29
1986 · told 2021-03-30, 35 years later by John: John imagines a copy going to Ocala, Florida, where he saw Halley's Comet with his dad in 1986. — I did it! 00:00:58
1987 · told 2020-10-20, 33 years later by John: John recalls winning a writing contest at nine to attend the 1987 Florida Young Writers Conference, where a famous author he loved refused his worn paperbacks, signing only new hardcovers he couldn't afford; he felt horrible. · story: Hank shows Dad's home video of eight-year-old John at the Orange County Young Authors Award (2007) — How to Sign Your Name 150,000 Times 00:01:54
1987 · told 2026-03-03, 39 years later by John: John's 1987 fourth-grade report card from Audubon Park Elementary shows all A's except a B in English and the honor roll; he was never a good English student. — The Best Fan Mail I Ever Received 00:03:24
1990 · told 2018-12-11, 28 years later by John: When the internet first came to John's house in the early 1990s, it seemed to live inside a box; once his dad got it working, it was green letters on a black screen. (hedged) · story: John's family gets the internet; CompuServe brings him friends, first love and a moderating job (early 1990s) — When the Internet Came Home 00:00:03
1990 · told 2021-01-01, 31 years later by Hank: Topping John's look back at his 2020 goals, Hank says that at 10, in 1990, he wrote an essay predicting life in 2020, and reads it with his year-by-year timeline. · story: 10-year-old Hank writes an essay and timeline predicting life up to 2020 (1990) — In 1990 I Made a Bunch of Predictions About 2020...Here they Are 00:00:00
1990 · told 2022-01-11, 32 years later by John: John is emerging from a long bout of the flu, not COVID, an old-school virus that makes him feel like he is in the 1990s. (hedged) — The Fault in Our Stars - Ten Years Later 00:00:00
1990 · told 2026-10-06, 36 years later by John: John says Mikey T had an encyclopedic memory for his special interests: say a date like October 6th and he would recall a 1990 Wimbledon win over Sheffield United and its scorer. — Make Your Art. 00:00:00
1991 · told 2021-09-10, 30 years later by Hank: Neither the dancer nor the girl remembers the moment; they may know Hank now from Crash Course without knowing they met him in 1991. — The Most Important 10 Words a Stranger Ever Said to Me 00:02:44
1992 · told 2026-07-07, 34 years later by John: In 1992, after a hard high-school year, a friend recommended The Mysteries of Pittsburgh to John; it lit him up, his first book with a queer character, its people glimpses of his deepest self. — On the Death of the Author 00:00:29
1993 · told 2019-03-12, 26 years later by John: John says he wrote the book because he wanted to go home to the fall of 1993, smoking under the bridge with people he loved, loving peers ferociously and without fear. · story: John: how Looking for Alaska was written, revised and won the Printz Award (2006) — Going Home with Alaska and Miles 00:01:27
1994 · told 2015-02-24, 21 years later by John: John found his 1994 junior-year report cards: C- in Latin, B- in French, B in American history, C- in pre-calc, C in chemistry and C- in English, with critical teacher comments. · story: John's poor grades and skipped classes in high school, from his 1994 report cards — Who I Was in High School 00:00:41
1995 · told 2012-06-26, 17 years later by John: John recounts that in 1995, as a college freshman, he and a friend drove to Windsor, Ontario with Mountain Dew, bread, peanut butter and $14 and were denied entry for insufficient funds. · story: John is denied entry to Canada for insufficient funds (1995) and has been flagged at every entry since 2001 — Insufficient Funds: A Story of Canada 00:00:41
1995 · told 2018-04-17, 23 years later by John: 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. · story: John is denied entry to Canada for insufficient funds (1995) and has been flagged at every entry since 2001 — John Green Answers Your John Green Questions 00:01:36
1995 · told 2024-10-30, 29 years later by John: John says he saw the film Wolf on 13 consecutive Wednesdays at Birmingham's dollar movie theater in 1995 with his buddy Todd. — Sipping the Tea with Hank 00:47:05
1996 · told 2025-09-12, 29 years later by Hank: Hank recalls that in 1996, at 16, he was at summer camp when the Mars meteorite news broke, and was frustrated that he had no computer to blog about it. — This Might Actually be Happening 00:03:02
1998 · told 2014-06-20, 16 years later by Hank: Hank first got obsessed with a video downloaded from the internet in 1998, and has been into online video longer than some viewers have been alive. — Pre-History of Online Video 00:00:21
1998 · told 2016-11-08, 18 years later by John: John says Hank was named Winter Park High School's Best Dancer in 1998. — A PIZZAMAS MIRACLE 00:00:29
1998 · told 2017-02-14, 19 years later by John: John says he is nearly 40, about twice the median Vlogbrothers viewer's age; at their age, in 1998, he was a college sophomore newly in love and taking his first creative writing class. — Human Life Is Getting Better. Faster Than Ever Before. 00:00:01
1998 · told 2017-08-11, 19 years later by Hank: Hank says his school's tuition in 1998, his first year, was $22,000 a year; with scholarships he paid about $10,000 a year, around $14,000 in today's dollars. — Life is not a Job Training Program 00:02:19
1999 · told 2021-01-01, 22 years later by Hank: The timeline put the first black president in 1999, not an election year, but Hank notes that did come true. — In 1990 I Made a Bunch of Predictions About 2020...Here they Are 00:01:51
1999 · told 2026-05-12, 27 years later by John: John says he graduated from Kenyon College in 1999 and for over 20 years has told people his commencement speaker was former baseball commissioner Bart Giamatti. — Lies, Damn Lies, and Bart Giamatti 00:00:00
2000 · told 2012-05-08, 12 years later by John: John doesn't want to vote while sick, but after failing to vote in Florida in the 2000 presidential election he promised himself and his country he would always vote. · story: John misses the voter registration deadline after moving to Chicago (2000) — Tiny Chickens Invade, But Still I Vote 00:01:10
2000 · told 2016-08-09, 16 years later by John: In August 2000 John had just moved to Chicago, slept in a walk-in closet of an apartment not in his name, had a Florida license, didn't know how to register, and missed the deadline. · story: John misses the voter registration deadline after moving to Chicago (2000) — Why I Didn't Vote (And Six Reasons You Might Not) 00:02:41
2000 · told 2018-10-26, 18 years later by Hank: In 2000 Hank lived in Florida and voted in his very first presidential election. — The Rigged Election 00:00:00
2000 · told 2020-06-30, 20 years later by John: John only became a Liverpool fan later, when the Premier League came to American TV in the early 2000s. — i like it 00:02:38
2000 · told 2021-05-25, 21 years later by John: In 2000 John worked for a few months as a student chaplain at a children's hospital while at divinity school planning to become an Episcopal minister; the devastation he saw ended those plans, and he still can't handle it. · story: John's time as a student chaplain at a children's hospital (c. 2000) — The Anthropocene Reviewed, Animated 00:03:26
2001 · told 2020-12-31, 19 years later by John: In summer 2001 the writer Amy Krouse Rosenthal emailed Booklist about a review; John, then a publishing assistant doing data entry and low-priority emails, replied. — Auld Lang Syne: The Anthropocene Reviewed 00:01:18
2001 · told 2022-12-27, 21 years later by John: In summer 2001 the writer Amy Krouse Rosenthal emailed Booklist about a review; John, a publishing assistant doing data entry and low-priority emails, replied. · story: John's big break: Amy Krouse Rosenthal gets him recording essays for WBEZ (2002) — We're here because were here. 00:00:51
2001 · told 2023-04-18, 22 years later by John: 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. · story: John's depression at 24 in Chicago: leave from Booklist, home to Orlando, and watching Harvey — goodbye to my friend 00:00:21
2001 · told 2023-12-30, 22 years later by John: In summer 2001 the writer Amy Krouse Rosenthal emailed Booklist about a review; John, a publishing assistant doing data entry and low-priority emails, replied. — John's Review of Auld Lang Syne 00:01:18
2002 · told 2011-08-31, 9 years later by John: In early 2002 John brought Ilene 40 single-spaced pages; over the next two years she worked with him to turn them into the novel that became Looking for Alaska. · story: John: how Looking for Alaska was written, revised and won the Printz Award (2006) — How to Become An Adult 00:02:32
2002 · told 2012-01-06, 10 years later by Hank: Hank recently sat down in front of a television; he last had cable at home in 2002, so ten years of changes hit him at once, and it 'freaking sucks'. — Kill your TV 00:00:16
2002 · told 2016-08-02, 14 years later by John: In 2002, while John worked at Booklist, Amy emailed him; they corresponded, she asked for a two-minute piece for WBEZ, and he wrote an essay that night and recorded it. · story: John's big break: Amy Krouse Rosenthal gets him recording essays for WBEZ (2002) — Beckoning Lovely 00:00:17
2002 · told 2016-08-30, 14 years later by John: John says that after he began treating his body better, quitting smoking in 2002 and running a mile in 2005, he got better at reading and writing. — My Body Is a Broken Temple 00:01:44
2002 · told 2020-12-31, 18 years later by John: In April 2002 John read at Amy's Writer's Block Party at the Chopin Theater; a hired complimenter praised his new Adidas sneakers, so he has worn Adidas almost daily for 17 years. · story: A complimenter at Amy Krouse Rosenthal's Writer's Block Party praises John's Adidas sneakers (2002) — Auld Lang Syne: The Anthropocene Reviewed 00:06:29
2002 · told 2021-05-25, 19 years later by John: John read so much at Booklist that he can't remember when he first met the word Anthropocene, probably around 2002. (hedged) — The Anthropocene Reviewed, Animated 00:07:52
2002 · told 2024-05-10, 22 years later by Hank: Hank confirms that in 2002 he had a blog, 'I Hate I-4', about Orlando's interstate and how to improve it, wanting people to look at it. — Three Whole Onions with Secretary Pete Buttigieg 00:04:11
2002 · told 2024-10-01, 22 years later by John: On 'Fame Mountain', John hiked up hungry while writing his first novel in 2002; with some success he came to want the top more than happiness or fulfilment. — On Fame and Chappell Roan 00:00:43
2003 · told 2015-10-20, 12 years later by John: John says he and Daniel became friends in 2003, just after Daniel got his PhD from MIT. — Nerdfighteria's Resident Comptroller? 00:00:11
2003 · told 2017-07-18, 14 years later by John: Third: in 2003, after a couple of years as friends, Sarah mentioned at her apartment that she and her boyfriend had broken up months earlier. — Accio Decade Hallows 00:01:13
2003 · told 2018-02-20, 15 years later by John: John recalls meeting mathematician Daniel Biss through a mutual friend at a Chicago bar about 15 years ago (around 2003), and being surprised how much he enjoyed talking to him. · story: John meets mathematician Daniel Biss at a Chicago bar and they become friends (2018) — When Your Friend Runs for Governor 00:00:00
2003 · told 2019-01-25, 16 years later by Hank: Hank says that in 2003 he moved to Missoula, Montana, which was a shift. — A Floridian's Guide to Living Someplace Very Very Cold 00:00:10
2003 · told 2020-03-20, 17 years later by Hank: Around 2003 or 2004 Hank began feeling worsening intestinal pain and other bad symptoms, the pain being the big one. (hedged) · story: Hank: living with ulcerative colitis (2007) — The Sudden Obliteration of Expectation 00:00:00
2003 · told 2021-12-14, 18 years later by John: In 2003, while working on the story that became Looking for Alaska and first becoming friends with Sarah, John learned from her the old line that all writing is rewriting. — MAKE. BELIEVE. 00:00:00
2003 · told 2021-12-14, 18 years later by John: John deleted about 95% of the draft he wrote in 2003 on the way to writing Looking for Alaska. — MAKE. BELIEVE. 00:00:29
2004 · told 2011-11-21, 7 years later by John: In 2004 Penguin's lawyers decided the character Alaska quoted too much of an Edna St. Vincent Millay poem; fair use allowed only two lines and John couldn't afford to pay the estate. · story: Penguin's lawyers cut a Millay quotation from Looking for Alaska under fair use (2004) — Old Man Narrates Young Girl 00:02:06
2004 · told 2020-11-03, 16 years later by John: John last read Looking for Alaska in 2004, at 26; he doesn't enjoy rereading published work, since he can't change anything and there are other books to read. — Alaska for Looking 00:00:58
2004 · told 2022-11-04, 18 years later by Hank: His oldest sign photos are from a power station behind the lab where Hank worked in 2004, possibly the start of his obsession. (hedged) — My Secret Obsession 00:00:58
2005 · told 2010-01-20, 5 years later by Hank: In 2005 Sarah came home to a red rose on every step up to her fourth-floor apartment and John at the top with more roses and a ring; they married in a large Alabama church. · story: John proposes to Sarah with a book inscribed by Hendrik Hertzberg (2008) — OMG MY BROTHER HAD A BABY 00:01:34
2005 · told 2014-03-18, 9 years later by John: John recalls that when he and Sarah moved to New York in 2005, a Craigslist mover told him that in New York anyone who can work, can work. · story: John's Craigslist mover in New York who later turned up in publishing (2005) — Is the American Dream Real? 00:00:01
2005 · told 2016-10-07, 11 years later by Hank: Hank explains their content company has been called EcoGeek after the blog he started in 2005, the reason for his first company, an LLC; the name no longer really applies. — Changing Our Business a Bit 00:02:47
2005 · told 2017-11-03, 12 years later by John: John tells an Amy story from his tour: in 2005 Amy, a children's book writer, memoirist and professional seeker of wonder, invited him to one of her readings. · story: Amy Krouse Rosenthal turns 'We're here because we're here' into hope for a depressed John at her reading (2005) — Because We're Here 00:00:38
2005 · told 2018-04-17, 13 years later by John: John published his first book in 2005. — John Green Answers Your John Green Questions 00:01:02
2005 · told 2019-03-22, 14 years later by Hank: Hank says he was diagnosed in 2005 and, after first getting it under control, has had mild, moderate or no symptoms on and off since. · story: Hank: living with ulcerative colitis (2007) — How to Get a Colonoscopy 00:00:00
2005 · told 2019-07-23, 14 years later by John: When Steven Gerrard lifted Liverpool's fifth European Cup in 2005, John was in Alabama celebrating his engagement to Sarah; his first novel was six weeks old and he was 27. — What to Love and How 00:00:57
2005 · told 2021-05-25, 16 years later by John: 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. · story: John and Sarah move to Indianapolis (2007) — The Anthropocene Reviewed, Animated 00:07:31
2005 · told 2023-03-07, 18 years later by John: In 2005 John's whole goal for Looking for Alaska was to sell enough copies to reach paperback, which would keep it in print a couple more years. — What's the Deal with Paperback Publishing? 00:01:27
2005 · told 2026-02-24, 21 years later by John: 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. (hedged) · story: John: how Looking for Alaska was written, revised and won the Printz Award (2006) — Risk Is a Privilege 00:01:27
2005 · told 2026-03-31, 21 years later by John: John last published books in consecutive years in 2005 and 2006; now, 20 years later, Everything Is Tuberculosis came out last year (2025) and Hollywood, Ending comes out this year (2026). — I've Been Keeping a Secret… 00:00:29
2006 · told 2013-01-08 (said on 2013-01-05, implied), 7 years later by John: John recalls that in late 2006, while planning Brotherhood 2.0, Sarah doubted he could do it given his internet time, and he insisted making videos would replace it. · story: Sarah doubts John can make Brotherhood 2.0 videos given his internet time (2006) — Addicted to the Internet 00:00:45
2006 · told 2013-01-08 (said on 2013-01-05, implied), 7 years later by John: When the brothers planned Brotherhood 2.0 in late 2006, Sarah doubted John could do it given his internet time; he insisted making videos would replace that time. · story: Sarah doubts John can make Brotherhood 2.0 videos given his internet time (2006) — Addicted to the Internet 00:00:48
2006 · told 2020-10-13 (said on 2020-10-05, implied), 14 years later by John: The video was filmed in the past because John is scheduled to be away from his computer and all electronic devices for about 72 hours, his longest such break since around 2006. — Me from the Past: A Pizzamas Miracle 00:00:00
2006 · told 2020-12-08, 14 years later by John: John says starting a collaborative video blog back in 2006 was his idea. — A Love Letter to My Brother, Basically 00:00:00
2006 · told 2021-09-14, 15 years later by John: In late 2006, after An Abundance of Katherines came out, John quit his day job to write full time, found himself still inconsistent and the empty days terrifying, and three months later invented an unpaid job, this channel. — I do this every. single. tuesday. 00:01:34
2007 · told 2011-09-26, 4 years later by John: John has lent through Kiva since 2007 with a 100% payback rate, but found $913 he was not lending, says he had become the scared banker, and re-lent it to entrepreneurs. — Awesome Bankers? 00:02:26
2007 · told 2012-11-08, 5 years later by John: Living in New York, John and the Yeti had no car; after moving to Indianapolis in 2007 he inherited his parents' old car, whose windows don't roll down. · story: John's six-year dream of owning a Chevy Volt comes true (2012) — VOLT! A Dream Comes True. 00:00:00
2007 · told 2013-01-11, 6 years later by Hank: Hank says that in 2007 John's friend Katie put DFTBA at the end of her to-do list; the brothers took it, popularized it through the vlog, and Hank is proud of and identifies with it. — On the Ownership of Ideas 00:00:52
2007 · told 2013-01-15, 6 years later by John: John says he and Hank missed the easy collaborations of their teens, which is why they started Brotherhood 2.0 in 2007, wanting collaborators again; they never imagined this many. — An Evening of Awesome at Carnegie Hall 00:56:49
2007 · told 2013-03-05, 6 years later by John: John says that since Brotherhood 2.0 started in 2007 he has flown more than 400,000 miles, which has earned him a lot of perks. — The Gray Speckled Walls Encroach: The Perks and Liabilities of Frequent Flying 00:00:23
2007 · told 2013-04-09, 6 years later by John: John recalls being hospitalised in March 2007 with a not-dangerous infection behind his eye and thinking, at 2:30 one morning, that he was ready for death. · story: John's orbital cellulitis and hospital stay (2007) — Inside North Korea 00:02:10
2007 · told 2014-07-18, 7 years later by Hank: During the first Project for Awesome in December 2007, Hank replied to John's comment and had to drink blended Peeps and Strawberry Hill wine while playing a show to six people, his first show ever; the only one there who knew him was his wife. — EVERY VLOGBROTHERS PUNISHMENT! 00:01:15
2007 · told 2015-05-19, 8 years later by John: John says he first referred to this still-continuing pain in his second vlogbrothers video, in 2007. · story: John's face is hit by a bike messenger in Chicago, starting years of chronic mouth pain (about 2003) — Pain Destroys Language: John after the Dentist 00:00:14
2007 · told 2015-05-19, 8 years later by John: John reports his fourth and most dramatic mouth surgery a few weeks ago, for pain he first mentioned in his second vlogbrothers video in 2007; a metal rod had erupted from his gum. · story: John's fourth oral surgery for chronic mouth pain (2015) — Pain Destroys Language: John after the Dentist 00:00:21
2007 · told 2016-07-05, 9 years later by John: In 2007, living in New York, John called Dad to say Sarah had a job in Indianapolis; Dad said, 'You can't be serious.' · story: John and Sarah move to Indianapolis (2007) — The Horizon Line 00:01:33
2007 · told 2017-01-24, 10 years later by John: Living in New York in 2007, John railed against 'sheeple' buying houses in the Midwest; now he owns a home in Indianapolis and quite likes it. — On Motivation 00:01:50
2007 · told 2017-06-13, 10 years later by John: When they started Vlogbrothers in 2007 John spent several months in Cheyenne, always thinking about his next video, growing their audience, and how cool YouTube was. — Cheyenne, Wyoming 00:00:22
2007 · told 2017-06-20, 10 years later by John: John reveals Hank's first tweet, from June 2007 on his EcoGeek handle: writing up stories for EcoGeek and wondering when Google would buy Twitter. — FIRST! Green Brothers Reunited Again 00:03:06
2007 · told 2017-07-18, 10 years later by John: It had not occurred to John to keep going with the project after the end of 2007. — Accio Decade Hallows 00:02:26
2007 · told 2018-08-07, 11 years later by John: John says he and Sarah moved to Indianapolis in 2007 for Sarah's job, making him a 'trailing spouse'; he knew almost no one and, working alone in his basement, struggled to make friends at work. · story: John and Sarah move to Indianapolis (2007) — How I Made Friends 00:01:09
2007 · told 2019-01-22, 12 years later by John: John says the headlines' 'John Green novel' is not a John Green novel: in 2007 and 2008 he, Lauren Myracle and Maureen Johnson wrote Let It Snow together. — Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle's Let It Snow 00:00:29
2007 · told 2019-04-26, 12 years later by Hank: Hank says that after starting out 'being dumb with a camcorder' in 2007 he became, over years, CEO of four different companies, not counting 2D Glasses, without really knowing how. — It's Time to Care About "Business" 00:01:27
2007 · told 2019-05-28, 12 years later by John: Before the brothers started making YouTube videos in 2007, John had never owned a video camera and rarely took pictures; he has only about a dozen photos of himself from ages 18 to 27. — 3 Minutes and 58 Seconds of Darkness 00:00:22
2007 · told 2020-09-25, 13 years later by Hank: Hank reflects that we don't know what we sign up for: John asked him to do this in 2007, he said yep, and here they are in 2020. — i said yep 00:01:19
2007 · told 2023-05-23, 16 years later by John: In a comment John says the brothers' no-phone-calls rule was only in 2007; they have long been back to phone calls. — Rough Week 00:00:00
2007 · told 2023-09-08, 16 years later by Hank: Hank recalls that in 2007, when YouTube picked the exact middle frame as thumbnail, he deliberately held up a giraffe picture from a book at the midpoint, and the video got many views. — Giraffes are Way More Complicated Than We Thought 00:00:00
2007 · told 2023-09-19, 16 years later by John: John recalls that early in 2007, at the start of Brotherhood 2.0, he was hospitalized for an infection between his eye and his brain. · story: John's orbital cellulitis and hospital stay (2007) — So, um.... GOOD NEWS?!?!?! 00:04:54
2007 · told 2023-10-06, 16 years later by Hank: Hank says Pizzamas is a challenge: the brothers have more demands on their time than in 2007, and he always tries one or two ambitious Pizzamas videos. — I Quit 00:00:00
2007 · told 2023-12-01, 16 years later by Hank: In 2007 Hank burned 50 to 100 CDs with his wife's laptop for a library event with John in Michigan, and sold every one of them. — It's OK if you think less of me after this! 00:00:00
2007 · told 2023-12-01, 16 years later by Hank: Hank says the CD includes a song by Elle Cordova, recently popular on TikTok and Instagram but a YouTuber back in 2007. — It's OK if you think less of me after this! 00:00:34
2007 · told 2024-01-02, 17 years later by John: John notes that on January 2, 2024 it is 17 years since he uploaded his first Brotherhood 2.0 video, in 2007. — Being Old on YouTube 00:00:00
2007 · told 2024-08-27, 17 years later by John: Had he and Hank stopped making videos in December 2007 as planned, John says, they would have netted nothing from their YouTube project. — How The Internet Is Rigged 00:02:15
2007 · told 2024-08-27, 17 years later by John: In 2007 John wouldn't even hold up Looking for Alaska on camera; by 2012 he reblogged every piece of Fault in Our Stars fan art with a link to buy the book. — How The Internet Is Rigged 00:03:24
2007 · told 2025-10-21, 18 years later by John: John recalls making a Vlogbrothers video around 2007 or 2008 arguing a movie costs $10 for two hours of entertainment while a book costs $10 for 14 hours. (hedged) — Is Book Publishing Dying? An Author's Perspective 00:03:23
2007 · told 2026-02-14, 19 years later by John: 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. · story: John's orbital cellulitis and hospital stay (2007) — Project for Awesome 2026 part 4! 00:08:24
2007 · told 2026-02-24, 19 years later by John: John says the brothers could start YouTube videos in 2007, an expensive hobby with no prospect of paying off, because they had professional flexibility. — Risk Is a Privilege 00:00:29
2007 · told 2026-03-03, 19 years later by John: 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. · story: YouTube makes the Vlogbrothers YouTube partners (2007) — The Best Fan Mail I Ever Received 00:01:34
2007 · told 2026-03-03, 19 years later by John: John shows the physical tapes on which early Vlogbrothers videos were recorded: all of 2007 and 2008, plus material he deleted, before transfer to a computer. — The Best Fan Mail I Ever Received 00:04:38
2008 · told 2011-12-09, 3 years later by John: John recalls the 2008 Tour de Nerdfighting, when he, Hank and Katherine piled into a minivan, played cows and travelled the country. — Puppies and The Tour de Nerdfighting 2012 00:00:00
2008 · told 2013-01-11, 5 years later by Hank: Hank recalls making a video anagramming presidential candidates' names; about a week later The Daily Show did the same, but John, through his writer friends, found its segment was written first. — On the Ownership of Ideas 00:00:00
2008 · told 2014-07-18, 6 years later by Hank: In June 2008 John missed a video and had to eat a sandwich made of lard and protein meal. — EVERY VLOGBROTHERS PUNISHMENT! 00:02:12
2008 · told 2014-12-23, 6 years later by John: John says that back in 2008 he published a story about how the merely imagined can become really real. (hedged) — Agloe, New York 00:01:59
2008 · told 2015-04-21, 7 years later by John: John recalls his first European Nerdfighter gathering (Amsterdam, 2008, 30-40 people), where a Dutch Nerdfighter from Best Wishes from the Netherlands asked him to introduce them to the Belgian boys. · story: John's week touring the Netherlands with Jordan Sonnenblick and Steve Kluger (2009) — A Stunning Turn of Events 00:02:04
2008 · told 2015-10-20, 7 years later by John: John says Daniel believed government service was noble; in 2008 Nerdfighteria helped raise money for his campaign and he lost, but he won in 2010 and was elected to the Illinois State Senate in 2012. · story: Daniel Biss runs for Illinois state representative (2007) — Nerdfighteria's Resident Comptroller? 00:01:03
2008 · told 2015-10-20, 7 years later by John: John says Daniel lost in 2008, won in 2010, and was elected to the Illinois State Senate in 2012. · story: Daniel Biss runs for Illinois state representative (2007) — Nerdfighteria's Resident Comptroller? 00:01:07
2008 · told 2017-03-07, 9 years later by John: John says Saw Kyar Aye escaped his forced labour crew in 2008, reached Malaysia and registered as a refugee with UNHCR, but could not legally work there nor risk returning home as a deserter. · story: Burmese refugee Saw Kyar Aye's years-long wait to be reunited with his wife and son in Indianapolis, ending in an airport reunion John witnesses (2017) — Hoping for an Airport Reunion: One Refugee Family's Story 00:00:41
2008 · told 2017-11-03, 9 years later by John: John recalls hanging out with Amy Krouse Rosenthal later that night in 2008, his friend who died earlier this year (2017). — Because We're Here 00:00:30
2008 · told 2018-02-27, 10 years later by John: Fireball Wilson Roberts Green came home in 2008, named for the alcoholic bulldog in James Crumley's novel The Last Good Kiss; they call him Willy because, as the vet put it, he's 'Willy Willy cute'. · story: John and the Yeti get a puppy, Willy (2008) — Ode to a Dog 00:00:07
2008 · told 2019-11-01, 11 years later by John: For his first three years as a writer John's signings drew zero to five people, even after Looking for Alaska won the Printz Award; crowds reached double digits only in 2008. — On Looking Up to Your Little Brother 00:00:58
2008 · told 2019-12-17, 11 years later by John: Hank long supported John's writing: when Paper Towns came out in 2008, Hank and Katherine toured libraries and bookstores with him in a rented minivan, Hank singing and playing a turtle professor or sock puppet. — The Best Days of My Decade 00:02:27
2008 · told 2024-10-02, 16 years later by Hank: On one of the weirdest days of his life, in New York in 2008, just after his first Nerdfighter gathering and wearing a fan-made Nerdfighteria shirt under his suit, Hank made a deal to sell EcoGeek to Scientific American for money and a job. · story: Hank's 2008 deal to sell EcoGeek to Scientific American, paused by the financial crisis (2008) — What I learned from the weirdest day of my life 00:00:29
2008 · told 2024-10-02, 16 years later by Hank: In 2008, when the downstairs neighbor moved out, Hank and his household asked to move into that apartment because it had a washer and dryer; going to their laundromat, Sparkle Temptations, despite its soft serve and hot dogs, was a problem. — What I learned from the weirdest day of my life 00:01:56
2008 · told 2026-07-14, 18 years later by John: John recalls the 2008 Great American Tour de Nerdfighting: he, Hank and Katherine drove around the country for a month in a minivan, Hank selling CDs and John Paper Towns; exhausting but exhilarating. — On the Road Again 00:00:00
2009 · told 2011-05-06, 2 years later by Hank: Hank got a letter from the IRS saying he underpaid his 2009 taxes and owes a lot of money; he doesn't know whether to believe it. (hedged) — Happy Birthday To Me! 00:00:28
2009 · told 2013-08-03, 4 years later by John: John says Esther Earl was a Nerdfighter the brothers met at LeakyCon 2009 in Boston. — Esther Day 2013 00:00:43
2009 · told 2020-09-08, 11 years later by John: In a comment John says he started following Wimbledon's story in 2009-2010, as they made their way back to the Football League, and thinks he first heard of them on YouTube. (hedged) — That's the way. 00:00:00
2009 · told 2021-11-09, 12 years later by John: John says his first failure was in 2009: Hank pitched glasses that render 3D movies in 2D for people who get headaches, and John called it the worst idea he'd ever heard. — Hank Green's Million Dollar Ideas 00:00:58
2010 · told 2013-04-02, 3 years later by John: John tells new Nerdfighters that Esther Earl was a Nerdfighter and friend of his who died of cancer in 2010 at 16. · story: Death of Nerdfighter Esther Earl, John's friend (2010) — TFiOS Movie Casting, New Books, and Groundhog Wars: An Old School Vlogbrothers Video 00:00:00
2010 · told 2013-08-03, 3 years later by John: John: Esther was a dear friend and a really important Nerdfighter; she died in 2010 at sixteen. · story: Death of Nerdfighter Esther Earl, John's friend (2010) — Esther Day 2013 00:00:59
2010 · told 2016-08-03, 6 years later by Hank: The description says Esther Earl, a Nerdfighter who died in 2010 at 16, asked that her birthday be a day for saying "I love you" to people you love but don't tell enough. · story: Death of Nerdfighter Esther Earl, John's friend (2010) — Lives Made of Love - Esther Day 2016 00:00:00
2010 · told 2017-02-28, 7 years later by John: John recalls Esther Earl, a Nerdfighter who with her friends helped run the Project for Awesome behind the scenes and who died of cancer in 2010 at 16. · story: Death of Nerdfighter Esther Earl, John's friend (2010) — You Are Here 00:00:18
2010 · told 2019-08-03, 9 years later by Hank: The description says Esther Earl was a Nerdfighter, activist and cool person who died of thyroid cancer in 2010. · story: Death of Nerdfighter Esther Earl, John's friend (2010) — I Love John: Esther Day 2019 00:00:00
2010 · told 2020-04-21, 10 years later by John: John says the story begins in 2010, when he discovered the Singamajig. — hey now 00:00:00
2010 · told 2021-03-09, 11 years later by John: In 2010 Hank was a goofball corndog enthusiast; today he is a TikTok sensation among the world's leading science communicators, two phrases John had never heard in 2010. · story: Hank joins TikTok and posts several TikToks a day (2020) — Hank Rebranded Without Any of Us Noticing 00:00:58
2010 · told 2021-08-03, 11 years later by John: Esther died a few weeks after the first Esther Day in 2010, aged 16; her parents then founded This Star Won't Go Out, which gives direct financial support to families of kids with cancer. · story: Death of Nerdfighter Esther Earl, John's friend (2010) — I L*** Hank 00:00:58
2010 · told 2022-04-19, 12 years later by John: John says they started working with Partners In Health in 2010 in response to the Haiti earthquake, focused on it because everyone was; as a community they felt powerless. — How do you cross the Sad Gap? 00:00:00
2010 · told 2022-08-03, 12 years later by Hank: Hank explains that Esther Earl, an early community member, died of cancer in 2010, and asked how to celebrate her birthday, chose non-romantic love: a Valentine's Day for all other kinds of love. · story: Death of Nerdfighter Esther Earl, John's friend (2010) — Why is it So Hard to Say 'I Love You'? 00:01:56
2010 · told 2023-08-03, 13 years later by John: John explains Esther Day: a holiday founded by Esther Earl, a friend and longtime nerdfighter who died of cancer in 2010 at 16, for the love between family and friends. · story: Death of Nerdfighter Esther Earl, John's friend (2010) — I love you, Hank. Happy Esther Day. 00:00:00
2010 · told 2023-11-07, 13 years later by John: John completed a draft of The Fault in Our Stars in mid-December 2010 after attempting NaFaDoYBIMSCoM. · story: John works in Miami to finish an overdue draft of his book (2010) — NaFaDoYBIMSCoM 00:02:14
2010 · told 2026-01-20, 16 years later by John: The quote came from Zombicorns, a novella John wrote in 2010 for the Project for Awesome about a zombie apocalypse caused by corn monoculture. — Am I ... Good? 00:00:00
2011 · told 2014-07-18, 3 years later by Hank: In 2011 the standing deal to punish Hank if Helen Hunt saw his 'Helen Hunt' video came true: she tweeted him, and he had to hump his entire town. — EVERY VLOGBROTHERS PUNISHMENT! 00:02:33
2011 · told 2014-11-12, 3 years later by Hank: 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. · story: John grows a Movember beard for prostate cancer research (2009) — The History of Pizza John! 00:01:32
2011 · told 2015-11-24, 4 years later by John: 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. · story: Hank's Asacol HD price rises from $50 to $620 a month (2011) — Crime and Outrage 00:02:19
2011 · told 2017-06-27, 6 years later by John: Signing all pre-orders means signing the whole first printing; for The Fault in Our Stars that was 150,000, charted on a 2011 poster Sarah made, and John signed almost all its pre-orders. — UNBOXING 00:00:46
2011 · told 2017-08-08, 6 years later by John: John says that besides the physical illness his mental health was near an all-time low; in 2011 he hated the Piazza San Marco, its smell, tourists, pigeons and flying lions, and was sick and scared. — What You Make of It: Thoughts from Venice, Italy 00:02:15
2011 · told 2018-11-09, 7 years later by Hank: Hank recalls that in 2011, when YouTube considered funding higher-budget channels, he and John could pitch ideas; in a recently found chat he had a dozen ideas, from top-10 shows to Pilates, chasing views. · story: Hank and John's 2011 chat about which channels to pitch for YouTube funding (2011) — I Don't Know What Work Is 00:01:47
2011 · told 2019-04-23, 8 years later by John: The Fault in Our Stars was very nearly titled 'The Sequel' or 'The Sequels'; in April 2011 emails Julie told John, politely, that it was not a good title. — untitled 00:01:27
2011 · told 2020-10-20, 9 years later by John: John recalls that in 2011, signing the first printing of The Fault in Our Stars, he listened to Moby Dick. — How to Sign Your Name 150,000 Times 00:00:53
2011 · told 2023-01-24, 12 years later by John: John felt very welcome on Tumblr when he joined in 2011, later felt less welcome and eventually left; neither he nor Tumblr expected a reunion. — Behind the Scenes of my TUMBLR MEME LORD ERA 00:00:00
2011 · told 2024-08-27, 13 years later by John: In 2011 John built a large audience on Tumblr, which, as Tumblr grew, sold many copies of The Fault in Our Stars. — How The Internet Is Rigged 00:03:06
2011 · told 2026-05-26, 15 years later by John: John says that in 2011 he and Hank founded Complexly, which has made lots of educational content, from Bizarre Beasts to The Art Assignment to SciShow to Crash Course. — Hank Green Is a Fool 00:00:58
2012 · told 2015-11-11, 3 years later by Hank: The last time Hank felt that level of uncontrollable excitement was in 2012, when the Curiosity rover was safely on the surface of Mars. — Watch This If You Want To Smile (Pizzamas Day 3) 00:03:08
2012 · told 2016-06-21, 4 years later by John: Mufak, a trained butcher who became a successful entrepreneur in Syria, left everything behind in 2012 to escape the fighting; after four years in Jordan the family's savings were depleted. · story: John meets Syrian refugees Mufak, Nada and their five children in Jordan and visits them after their resettlement in Rockford, Illinois (2016) — Syrian Refugees in the United States: One Family's Story 00:00:08
2012 · told 2016-09-20, 4 years later by John: By April 2012 John reworked it as a story of two boys finding something terrible in their hometown's storm drains, writing about 100 pages, none very good. — Failing to Follow Up The Fault in Our Stars 00:01:01
2012 · told 2017-03-07, 5 years later by John: John says Saw Kyar Aye was approved in 2012 but Thet Thet was not; told spouses reunite easily, they decided he should go, and he left for Indianapolis in December 2012 with her eight months pregnant. · story: Burmese refugee Saw Kyar Aye's years-long wait to be reunited with his wife and son in Indianapolis, ending in an airport reunion John witnesses (2017) — Hoping for an Airport Reunion: One Refugee Family's Story 00:01:28
2012 · told 2021-12-07, 9 years later by John: Hank's tweet about the TFIOS cover, with John's name as big as the title, dates from October 2011, just after he first saw it; the book came out in January 2012. — Reading Hank's Decade-Old Tweets 00:01:53
2012 · told 2024-11-13, 12 years later by John: John recalls the 2012 Fault in Our Stars tour: 32 consecutive nights at Holiday Inn Expresses, including a very nice one on a river outside Bend, Oregon; Hank doubts it was near Bend. — Some New Things… 00:53:22
2013 · told 2014-07-18, 1 years later by Hank: In 2013 Grace Helbig became the first non-brother punished, for a video over four minutes during John's paternity leave; though it was unclear the rules applied to her, she slapped herself. · story: John's paternity leave from vlogbrothers, with guest hosts filling in (2013) — EVERY VLOGBROTHERS PUNISHMENT! 00:02:46
2013 · told 2014-07-18, 1 years later by Hank: In October 2013 John's over-four-minute video was ruled not educational enough, and as punishment he ate slobber carrots made by his son. — EVERY VLOGBROTHERS PUNISHMENT! 00:02:57
2013 · told 2016-09-20, 3 years later by John: By the time the movie started shooting in fall 2013, John was failing to write a book about teenage con artists; he spent almost a year on it before giving up. — Failing to Follow Up The Fault in Our Stars 00:01:46
2013 · told 2017-03-07, 4 years later by John: John says that in 2013 Thet Thet was in Malaysia caring for baby son Saw Kyar Min; in April 2014 the family was told they would come, but a clerical error cancelled the trip. · story: Burmese refugee Saw Kyar Aye's years-long wait to be reunited with his wife and son in Indianapolis, ending in an airport reunion John witnesses (2017) — Hoping for an Airport Reunion: One Refugee Family's Story 00:02:25
2013 · told 2019-04-30, 6 years later by John: It reminded John that in 2013 Jack Midson scored a penalty in the season's last game to keep Wimbledon in the fourth tier, and celebrated by borrowing a fan's hat. — The Thing with Feathers 00:02:25
2013 · told 2022-04-22, 9 years later by Hank: Hank shows a bowling pin from when he bowled a 199 in 2013, which complete Vlogbrothers watchers will recognize; he asks others to guess what it is. — My Life is on My Walls 00:00:29
2013 · told 2023-12-24, 10 years later by John: John explains his missing tooth (in 2013): terrible chronic pain since before Brotherhood 2.0 ended in a complicated, painful surgery, and it no longer hurts. · story: John has a tooth surgically removed (2013) — John and Hank Hanging Out but they Keep Getting Younger and More Pixelated 01:44:55
2014 · told 2018-01-19, 4 years later by Hank: At $15,000 a Bitcoin, John searched every email since Bitcoin began and found that a nice person named Sean had sent them almost an entire Bitcoin in 2014. · story: John finds the Bitcoin a viewer named Sean sent the brothers in 2014; they sell it for $15,000 and donate the proceeds to Partners In Health (2018) — Many Years Ago, Someone Gave Me a Whole Bitcoin...then I lost it. 00:00:28
2014 · told 2018-03-13, 4 years later by John: In 2014 John and some nerdfighters auctioned their World Cup love and raised over $10,000 for sarcoma research. — Who Should We Root For? 00:02:01
2014 · told 2020-06-30, 6 years later by John: John thought about the long years since James's claim, the title slipping away in 2014 and coming up agonizingly short in 2009. — i like it 00:03:22
2014 · told 2021-05-25, 7 years later by John: John had written a few such reviews in 2014, of Canada geese and Diet Dr Pepper, and in early 2018 sent them to Sarah for her thoughts. — The Anthropocene Reviewed, Animated 00:10:17
2014 · told 2022-04-19, 8 years later by John: John's life changed in 2014 when he asked PIH's chief medical officer, Dr. Joia Mukherjee, whether PIH would be part of the Project for Awesome's Ebola fundraising. — How do you cross the Sad Gap? 00:01:56
2014 · told 2025-07-01, 11 years later by John: In a comment John adds that Looking for Alaska did eventually make the list, in 2014, nine years after it was first published. — What #1 New York Times Bestseller Actually Means 00:00:00
2014 · told 2026-01-20, 12 years later by John: John says this is partly how his mind works and partly the result of things that happened around 2014, which he and Hank discuss in this week's (week of 19 January 2026) Dear Hank and John. — Am I ... Good? 00:00:58
2014 · told 2026-02-15, 12 years later by John: John's neighborhood had an HOA, and when it was due for renewal around 2014 the neighbors collectively decided to let it expire. — Project for Awesome 2026 part 5! 04:00:49
2015 · told 2016-04-12, 1 years later by John: 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. · story: Looking for Alaska named the most challenged book in the US for 2015 (2016) — On the Banning of Looking for Alaska 00:00:01
2015 · told 2021-01-08, 6 years later by Hank: Hank now has a microscope, set up in a rarely used office corner he built as a Games with Hank set around 2015, and is very excited about it. (hedged) — In Which Hank Worries for a Little Bit and then Looks at Microbes 00:00:00
2015 · told 2022-01-25, 7 years later by John: In 2015 John, Nat Wolff and Cara Delevingne travelled to eight countries in two weeks to promote the Paper Towns movie. · story: John's European Paper Towns press trip with Nat Wolff, starting in Madrid (June 2015) — My Least Relatable Story: The Parisian Dentist 00:00:00
2015 · told 2023-10-24, 8 years later by John: John says there was no imaging capacity (no MRI machines, no CT scanners, in 2015 not even x-ray machines), so Mondeh could not get a diagnosis and the lump kept growing. — A Tale of Two Cancers 00:01:35
2015 · told 2025-11-28, 10 years later by Hank: Hank, in a toilet cubicle at BBC Studioworks, has just had hair and makeup done with Aisling Bea, Sandi Toksvig, Alan Davies and Desiree Burch and is about to be on QI, a show he loves. — Three Things! (Wait, no, actually four...) 00:00:00
2016 · told 2017-03-07, 1 years later by John: John says Thet Thet and Saw Kyar Min were approved again in 2016, with visas issued and travel planned. — Hoping for an Airport Reunion: One Refugee Family's Story 00:02:52
2016 · told 2024-02-02, 8 years later by Hank: Hank recalls that in 2016 Sara made over 100 unique t-shirts for the Perfect Strangers tour, which were awesome and all sold. — The Weirdest Thing I Did in LA 00:00:00
2017 · told 2021-05-25, 4 years later by John: After a month touring for Turtles All the Way Down, published October 2017, John came home to Indianapolis and blazed a trail from his children's treehouse to the office, or shed, where he and his wife work. — The Anthropocene Reviewed, Animated 00:00:00
2017 · told 2021-05-25, 4 years later by John: On the fall 2017 book tour, Hank and John passed long drives trying to one-up each other with absurd Google user reviews, like a one-star review of Badlands National Park: not enough mountain. — The Anthropocene Reviewed, Animated 00:08:55
2017 · told 2023-10-17, 6 years later by John: John says that, technically, he has been retired since November 2017: lying ill in bed for weeks, unable to read or look at a screen, he decided to retire. — My Next Book 00:00:00
2017 · told 2025-08-12, 8 years later by John: John recalls that on a Monday afternoon in 2017, while rummaging through a drawer, his sense of balance suddenly failed; he fell to the floor and started vomiting. · story: John's labyrinthitis after the Turtles All the Way Down tour (2017) — On Balance 00:00:00
2017 · told 2025-08-12, 8 years later by John: John recalls that with vertigo in 2017 he was in bed for two weeks unable to open his eyes; his other senses did not matter and the imbalance was all-consuming. · story: John's labyrinthitis after the Turtles All the Way Down tour (2017) — On Balance 00:01:30
2017 · told 2026-02-15, 9 years later by John: 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. · story: John's labyrinthitis after the Turtles All the Way Down tour (2017) — Project for Awesome 2026 part 5! 03:12:33
2018 · told 2020-07-07, 2 years later by John: Hank's first book, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, was the main reason John quit using the social internet in 2018. — You're a Rock Star 00:01:56
2018 · told 2024-08-27, 6 years later by John: John says Hank bet on TikTok in 2018 and benefited financially when it blew up. · story: Hank joins TikTok and posts several TikToks a day (2020) — How The Internet Is Rigged 00:03:14
2019 · told 2021-02-02, 2 years later by John: John recalls predicting the pandemic: in mid-2019 on Dear Hank and John he said everyone must prepare for the coming global disease pandemic, and a year earlier he listed one among his chief fears. — I Predicted the Pandemic (over and over and over again) 00:00:00
2019 · told 2023-08-15, 4 years later by John: 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. · story: John and Henry Reider, a Sierra Leonean teenager with multidrug-resistant TB he met at Lakka hospital (2019) — Henry 00:00:00
2019 · told 2023-10-24, 4 years later by John: John says Mondeh, like Hank, is now in remission and is a great young artist; visiting him in 2019, John saw his sketch of Mohamed Salah, John's favorite football player. · story: John and Sarah's 2019 trip to Sierra Leone and its hospitals (2019) — A Tale of Two Cancers 00:02:28
2019 · told 2024-10-22, 5 years later by John: John says in 2019 he visited a tuberculosis hospital in Sierra Leone, met a boy who shared his son's name, and came home obsessed with tuberculosis. · story: John and Henry Reider, a Sierra Leonean teenager with multidrug-resistant TB he met at Lakka hospital (2019) — My New Book: Everything Is Tuberculosis 00:00:33
2019 · told 2025-01-10, 6 years later by Hank: Kirkus, read by Hank, says that after John met a sick boy, Henry, in Sierra Leone in 2019, he set out to learn everything about TB and concluded it persists through racism, greed and public-health economics. · story: John and Henry Reider, a Sierra Leonean teenager with multidrug-resistant TB he met at Lakka hospital (2019) — SECRET PROJECT ANNOUNCEMENT! 00:03:58
2019 · told 2026-02-14, 7 years later by John: In 2019 Partners In Health told John that $25 million was needed even to break ground on the maternal hospital in Sierra Leone, and he almost had a panic attack. — Project for Awesome 2026 part 4! 00:03:54
2019 · told 2026-04-28, 7 years later by John: 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. · story: John and Sarah's 2019 trip to Sierra Leone and its hospitals (2019) — What I Can't Show You 00:00:29
2020 · told 2021-04-09, 1 years later by Hank: The website lists everything Hank has started, an impressively long list riddled with failure: of 11 listed 2020 projects only four still exist, and three were jokes. — A Thought is Not an Idea 00:00:29
2020 · told 2021-05-25, 1 years later by John: In early 2020, after two years of writing the podcast, a novel coronavirus appeared, and John began to write about the only thing he could write about. · story: John writes his first nonfiction book, The Anthropocene Reviewed (2020) — The Anthropocene Reviewed, Animated 00:12:53
2020 · told 2021-10-05, 1 years later by Hank: Hank says that in May 2020 someone told him TikTok is pretty cool; very soon he was uploading several TikToks a day, and over a year later he still is. · story: Hank joins TikTok and posts several TikToks a day (2020) — Why the Heck am I on TikTok??? 00:00:00
2020 · told 2025-05-09, 5 years later by Hank: Hank first emailed John the idea in 2020; John liked it, they wrote it together, and the book was done by 2021. — OK, I MESSED UP. 00:00:58
2020 · told 2026-02-13, 6 years later by John: John says his work in progress is taking a long time to write: in early 2020 he read it aloud in semi-secret livestreams, when he was sad, depressed and alone like everyone else. · story: John writes his first novel in almost ten years (2025) — Project for Awesome 2026 Kickoff! 01:15:37
2023 · told 2025-11-24, 2 years later by John: John says Good Store donated more in 2023 because Hank had cancer and people were very supportive; Hank adds the cancer socks were a very big product. · story: Hank's Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis and chemotherapy (2023) — Good Store Holiday Gift Guide LIVE with Hank and John 00:12:20
2025 · told 2026-05-08, 1 years later by Hank: Hank did the math and missed his chance: with no clean clock and too much precision, his untreated death day would have been about June 2025; he is unsure how he feels. (hedged) — My Deathday 00:02:55

Some time ago (no date given) (181)

used to · told 2007-03-19 (said on 2007-03-17, implied) by John: Through a hole in the fence and the 'troll hole' they went from the theatre into an office building with safe deposit boxes; John shows what the theatre used to look like. · story: John and M. T. Anderson go urban exploring in Detroit's ruins (2007) — Brotherhood 2.0: March 19th: Urban Exploration 00:03:26
used to · told 2007-03-28 by Hank: Hank says he used to get a W-2 and maybe a couple of 1099s; things have changed, and this year (2007) he has about twelve 1099s. — March 28th: Taxes 00:00:10
years ago · told 2007-04-23 by Hank: Hank introduces acclaimed naturalist and nature writer Robert Michael Pyle ('Bob'), a visiting professor at his university a couple of years ago whose class Hank took; fun to bowl with. — April 23rd: Celebrity 00:00:00
used to · told 2007-07-05 by John: John admits fireworks made him feel patriotic when he was younger but now just scare him; he shows the scared posture he says he kept all evening. · story: John and Sarah watch the Fourth of July fireworks and the Freedom Blast in Indianapolis (2007) — July 5th: The Regions Bank Freedom Blast 00:00:55
years ago · told 2007-11-19 by John: John says that several years ago he and his writer friend David Levithan started writing a book together, and today he hopes to learn whether, by whom and for how much it will be published. (hedged) · story: Will Grayson, Will Grayson: John and David Levithan sell their co-written book (2007) — November 19th: HOORAY HOORAY HAPPY HOORAY! 00:00:03
back then · told 2007-12-07 by Hank: Hank says that back then, lacking John's sharp wit, he could answer John's verbal attacks only physically or by running away, which he did more often than punching. · story: Hank punches John in the mouth as kids, scarring his knuckle on John's braces (2007) — December 7th: Fight Night with the Green Bros. 00:02:00
years ago · told 2008-01-30 by John: John learns his first novel, Looking for Alaska, published almost three years ago, is to be taught to 11th-grade English students at Depew High School near Buffalo. · story: Effort to ban Looking for Alaska in Depew, New York schools (2008) — I Am Not A Pornographer 00:00:14
used to · told 2008-03-07 (said on 2008-03-08, implied) by Hank: Hank can no longer work out who the 20,000th subscriber is because his counting method stopped working; he calls 20,000 subscribers insane. — Shawty Got Low, Tritube and Blurbing 00:02:19
used to · told 2008-04-16 (said on 2008-04-17, implied) by Hank: Hank has no particular topic because it is a random day, which he says is how it always used to be. — ITCHY MUSIC! 00:00:00
used to · told 2008-10-06 by John: The bar had a dog that used to drink there, reminding John of Fireball Roberts, the alcoholic bulldog in James Crumley's The Last Good Kiss. · story: John and the Yeti get a puppy, Willy (2008) — Berlin and Let it Snow (in Your Pants) 00:01:50
used to · told 2008-10-21 by Hank: Hank says it has been an exciting time moving in and getting used to their new place, and soon after moving in they already have guests. · story: Hank and Katherine buy a house (2008) — Lonesome Cloud 00:00:00
used to · told 2008-12-29 by Hank: Hank says he weighs about 15 pounds more than he used to, so he may go down that road eventually too. (hedged) — Comment Haters and Christmas 00:01:51
years ago · told 2010-03-29 by John: Googling himself, John found that a line he wrote years ago in An Abundance of Katherines has gone viral on Twitter, tweeted more than 10,000 times. · story: A line from John's An Abundance of Katherines goes viral on Twitter out of context (2010) — Quotations (And Holden Hats) 00:01:03
years ago · told 2010-06-02 (said on 2010-06-01, implied) by John: John recalls that almost 20 years ago he went to bed without closing his Nintendo's game flap and woke to find the dog Red Green's poop inside it. · story: Red Green's poop in the brothers' childhood Nintendo — The Case of the Poopy Nintendo 00:00:00
used to · told 2010-07-26 (said on 2010-07-24, implied) by Hank: They watched jugglers, less impressive to Hank since seeing Rootberry perform, then kayakers on the Clark Fork's kayak wave, which still impress him. — Hank's Life in a Day 00:00:58
years ago · told 2010-08-20 by John: Years ago in New York, John's friends Cassandra Clare and Holly had a knock-down fight over whether trolls are people. — The Fox Hat IS REAL, but Are Zombies People? 00:00:00
years ago · told 2010-09-29 by John: John says that three years ago he and Sarah (the Yeti) moved from New York City to Indianapolis, where more space meant buying a lot of furniture. · story: John and Sarah move to Indianapolis (2007) — MY FRIEND CHESTER 00:00:43
used to · told 2010-10-25 by Hank: Hank says he used to be in a Rocky Horror cast and really loves the show. · story: Hank's time in a Rocky Horror Picture Show cast — Rocky Horror + Glee = ? 00:00:29
years ago · told 2010-12-13 by John: John says a Nerdfighter approached him at LeakyCon years ago saying she had written a book due in 2010; when it arrived he couldn't stop reading. — 8 Things I Love 00:00:21
used to · told 2010-12-29 by John: John says he used to get distracted by roadside attractions, but this trip was all about speed: leftover barbecue for breakfast and no stop until lunch. · story: John's family drives from Birmingham back home to Indianapolis (December 2010) — Baby on the Road: Thoughts from Places 00:00:45
years ago · told 2011-01-21 by John: The most important moment of John's professional life came five years ago, almost to the day: the call saying Looking for Alaska, his first novel, had won the Printz Award. · story: John: how Looking for Alaska was written, revised and won the Printz Award (2006) — Looking for Alaska Five Years After the Printz Award 00:00:16
years ago · told 2011-01-21 by John: 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. · story: John: how Looking for Alaska was written, revised and won the Printz Award (2006) — Looking for Alaska Five Years After the Printz Award 00:00:58
used to · told 2011-02-11 by Hank: Hank shows a gift from Dark Horse Comics, an Orlando Solar Bears item from his dad (they went to hockey games), a Nerdfighter's gift, and Episode I figures dueling. — 200 People in Your Pants 00:00:38
long ago · told 2011-03-07 by Hank: Hank recalls that long ago he and John went to the Dominican Republic and toured with a microfinance organization; that video is deep in the Brotherhood 2.0 archives. · story: The brothers visit a village in the Dominican Republic, arranged by their dad (2007) — Why is Haiti Poor? 00:00:51
years ago · told 2011-03-23 by John: John says that a couple of years ago his doctor told him he had a parasite called campylobacter, which you get from eating feces; told most people get it from being licked by their dogs, he blames Willy. · story: John's campylobacter infection, which his doctor links to dogs' licks (about 2009) — Why Does My Dog Eat Poop? 00:01:01
long ago · told 2011-04-04 by Hank: Hank says the walk first passed the broken well, built at some point and broken who knows when; older villagers argued about when it last worked without consensus. — Thoughts from The Well 00:00:16
years ago · told 2011-04-06 by John: John recalls being part of a Nerdfighter marriage proposal a couple of years ago, shown in a flashback in which the woman says yes. · story: The Nerdfighter couple John proposed for on air in 2009: marriage and first child (2009) — Tales of Nerd Love! 00:00:09
years ago · told 2011-04-25 by John: A couple of years earlier, when Paper Towns came out, John was one of about eight authors, with Mortenson, at a Penguin dinner for some 200 young adult librarians at a library convention. · story: John mistakes another man for Greg Mortenson at a Penguin author dinner (about 2008) — Meeting Greg Mortenson 00:00:24
used to · told 2011-04-27 by Hank: Hank just paid about $16,000 in federal taxes; most of it, he says, goes to decreasing suck: unemployment help, education and healthcare for people who could not afford them. — NASA: Increasing Awesome 00:00:15
long ago · told 2012-02-03 by Hank: Hank says he finally got the glasses viewers voted for long ago; they have anti-reflective coating, which is good for SciShow. — An Awful Lot of Touring 00:00:54
decades ago · told 2012-04-24 by John: They found the records room, full of EKGs of hearts that stopped beating decades ago, and finally the boiler room, which John calls the beautiful dead guts of the hospital. — Beneath an Abandoned Hospital: Thoughts from Places 00:01:40
long ago · told 2012-08-21 by John: Long ago John worked the graveyard shift at Steak 'n Shake for about $14 an hour on average, a great job with good benefits and a stock program; he still owns 15 shares. · story: John's Steak 'n Shake graveyard shift versus his lower-paid Booklist job after college (2008) — Is College Worth It? 00:02:14
years ago · told 2012-11-27 by John: John says no gift has lasted as long as books, showing Ship Breaker from Hank, The Human Stain from Sarah early in their dating, Microserfs from Dad (Christmas 1997) and Where the Red Fern Grows from Mom (age 10). · story: John and Sarah's two-person book club before they started dating — Nerdfighter Book Recommendations: A Gift Giving Guide for Nerdfightastic Readers 00:03:24
long ago · told 2014-06-03 by John: John discloses he is not paid for the movie: he was paid for the rights long ago, gets no share of ticket sales, and would say so if he disliked it. — The Fault in Our Stars Movie Premiere 00:02:28
years ago · told 2014-07-08 by John: John recalls Hank buying Vi Hart equipment years ago so she could make better videos more often - the best $1,000 he ever spent, as she became a phenomenally successful educational creator. · story: Hank buys Vi Hart video equipment so she can make better videos (years before 2014) — The Future of Nerdfighteria 00:02:31
years ago · told 2014-09-19 by Hank: Hank says he started HankGames a few years ago because he likes games, and welcomed John joining to play video games there. — The Oculus Rift is Freakin Me Out 00:00:02
years ago · told 2014-10-14 by John: John says that ten years ago today he finished the last edits on Looking for Alaska, hoping only for a paperback; it never crossed his mind it would still be in print ten years on. — A Minor Crisis 00:02:51
years ago · told 2014-11-04 by John: One scene shot that day was the first part of Paper Towns John ever wrote, about nine years ago: little Q and Margo biking up to a dead body; he found it weird and wonderful and cried a little. — Mustaches and Movies: Day One of Paper Towns 00:02:37
years ago · told 2015-01-13 by John: John recalls taking part in Temerity Jane's marriage proposal years ago and reports she and Nerdfighter Phil are now married with a child. · story: The Nerdfighter couple John proposed for on air in 2009: marriage and first child (2009) — On Writing, Looking for Alaska Turning 10, and Winning the Project for Awesome 00:00:46
used to · told 2015-01-30 by Hank: Hank says interviewing President Obama is something he could never regret, but being thrown into the public eye brought some people saying nasty things about him, which he is not used to. · story: Hank's YouTube interview with President Obama (January 2015) — Thoughts from the Edge 00:00:11
years ago · told 2015-02-17 by John: John says he doesn't remember writing the line, but then he doesn't remember writing a lot of Paper Towns, which came out seven years ago. · story: John discovers the 'Paper Towns' quote attributed to him was written by 13-year-old Nerdfighter Melody (2015) — Places I've Never Been 00:00:41
years ago · told 2015-03-10 by John: John says Looking for Alaska, his first book, came out 10 years ago and its movie rights have been owned by Paramount ever since. — Travel Tips (and Paper Towns Movie Updates) 00:00:58
years ago · told 2015-04-28 by John: John recalls the Paper Towns screenplay he wrote many years ago: vastly different from the book, theme-first, and horrible. · story: John writes the Paper Towns screenplay (2008) — Is the Paper Towns Movie Like the Book? Thoughts on Adaptations 00:01:54
used to · told 2015-06-26 by Hank: Hank says talking is a skill that took them both a long time to master, and he has got better at it since becoming a professional speaker to camera. — How to Get Good at Everything 00:02:25
years ago · told 2015-06-30 by John: More than ten years ago John sold the film rights to his first novel, Looking for Alaska, and he has often tried to get them back since. · story: John sells the Looking for Alaska film rights for three times his salary, paying for his and Sarah's move to New York (2005) — Some News 00:02:24
used to · told 2015-07-14 by John: In Birmingham for just over 12 hours, John met Looking for Alaska director Becca Thomas and took her to his old high school at night, to the place where he used to smoke. · story: John takes Looking for Alaska director Becca Thomas to his old high school in Birmingham (July 2015) — On Exhaustion 00:00:20
used to · told 2015-07-14 by John: John met Looking for Alaska director Becca Thomas in Birmingham and took her to his old high school at night, to the place where he used to smoke, where graffiti read 'The best is yet to come'. · story: John takes Looking for Alaska director Becca Thomas to his old high school in Birmingham (July 2015) — On Exhaustion 00:00:22
years ago · told 2016-01-19 by John: John says he sold the Looking for Alaska movie rights more than ten years ago, has tried many times to buy them back, attempts to make the film keep falling apart, and he is no longer involved. — The Looking for Alaska Movie, Davos, and Hufflepuff Shade: It's Question Tuesday 00:02:02
used to · told 2016-01-19 by John: A spray scent called 'Spring Rain' takes John back to high school, where he and his roommate used it to cover the smell of cigarette smoke; the horrific scent makes him happy. — The Looking for Alaska Movie, Davos, and Hufflepuff Shade: It's Question Tuesday 00:03:00
years ago · told 2016-04-29 by Hank: A couple of years ago (2014), in the Bay Area for the launch of Randall Munroe's book What If?, Hank took a taxi whose very nice driver chatted with him about Montana and his trip. · story: Hank is overcharged by a Bay Area taxi driver during the What If? book launch trip (2014) — The Time a Taxi Driver Stole My Money 00:00:13
years ago · told 2016-08-02 by John: 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. · story: Amy Krouse Rosenthal turns 'We're here because we're here' into hope for a depressed John at her reading (2005) — Beckoning Lovely 00:01:40
years ago · told 2016-08-30 by John: 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. · story: John's teenage mistreatment of his body and later quitting smoking and running (c. 1993-2005) — My Body Is a Broken Temple 00:00:46
years ago · told 2016-09-20 by John: John recalls his best friend Chris saying it must be weird getting all this money for something he did at Starbucks a couple of years ago; it was weird. — Failing to Follow Up The Fault in Our Stars 00:01:31
used to · told 2016-09-20 by John: John missed writing like someone you used to love; about a year ago (2015) he went back, writing just for fun and because he thought Sarah would like it, which are good reasons to write. · story: John writes a novel about what it means to be human and how we define personhood (2015) — Failing to Follow Up The Fault in Our Stars 00:02:27
used to · told 2016-11-17 by John: John says that about a year ago he began reading The Economist, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Indianapolis Star, and grew suspicious of his social media feed as the best way to stay informed. · story: John turns his phone into a 'dumb phone' and changes how he follows the news (2016) — Decathlons, Pretension, and the Weirdest Animal I've Met: It's Question Thursday 00:02:29
used to · told 2016-12-13 by Hank: Hank says the last six weeks away were weird: his first time leaving the channel in almost ten years, during a moment when everyone wanted to talk about what was happening. · story: Hank's paternity leave from vlogbrothers, with guest hosts standing in (2016) — P4A 2016 Hilarity Reprise - OVER $2M RAISED!! 00:03:00
used to · told 2017-01-24 by John: John used to think bestselling books were by definition crap, then quickly backtracked when he unexpectedly wrote one. — On Motivation 00:01:59
years ago · told 2017-02-17 by Hank: The description says Hank met Luzu, a Spanish YouTuber, at VidCon a few years ago, and made a video with him because he was in town. — As Cold as The Milk: Learning Spanish with Luzu 00:00:00
used to · told 2017-05-02 by John: John says he runs at one sustainable pace, which has improved from about 10 minutes 5 seconds to about 9:40 per mile. — The Life Changing Magic of Thumbs Up 00:00:32
years ago · told 2017-06-13 by John: John spent about a year in Cheyenne finishing The Fault in Our Stars, but also several months a few years ago only to realize the book he'd worked hard on wasn't good and wouldn't be published. · story: John fails to write a follow-up to The Fault in Our Stars: abandoned identity-thieves and con-artists novels (2012-2015) — Cheyenne, Wyoming 00:01:36
years ago · told 2017-06-22 by John: John says his previous book, The Fault in Our Stars, came out more than five and a half years ago, so this one has been a long and winding road. — My New Book 00:00:13
years ago · told 2017-07-18 by John: John says ten years ago today was one of the most important days of his life. — Accio Decade Hallows 00:00:05
years ago · told 2017-07-18 by John: Ten years ago today (18 July 2007) Hank uploaded Accio Deathly Hallows, a song about his excitement for the publication of the last Harry Potter book. — Accio Decade Hallows 00:02:31
used to · told 2017-07-21 by Hank: Hank used to think the 2% was per act of sex, which would be terrible: only ten times better than unprotected sex. — On Condom Failure 00:00:45
years ago · told 2017-08-08 by John: Watching gondolas from a bridge, John recalls his last visit to Venice just over six years ago (June 2011): his video began 'I'm in Venice and I'm really sick', and he was very sick. · story: John in Venice for the Indianapolis Museum of Art's US Pavilion at the Venice Biennale (2011) — What You Make of It: Thoughts from Venice, Italy 00:02:01
used to · told 2017-09-15 by Hank: 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. · story: Hank's summer job at Walmart (told 2017) — My Butt Has Some Complaints About Australia 00:01:00
years ago · told 2017-10-17 by John: On I-4 in Orlando, John remembers that about 12 years ago Hank had a viral hit website, ihatei4.com, and it makes him smile. — Look at Tiny Baby Hank 00:00:10
decade ago · told 2017-11-03 by John: John recalls the first time he saw Hank play in front of a crowd: 45 people in Grand Rapids, Michigan, almost a decade ago (May 2008). — Because We're Here 00:00:13
years ago · told 2017-11-21 by John: Before the Turtles tour returned to Cincinnati, Kenny wrote John on Reddit that he met his girlfriend at John's signing five years ago and wanted advice on proposing. — Two Love Stories 00:01:53
years ago · told 2017-12-29 by Hank: Hank says about 15 years ago he took the Myers-Briggs test for the first time, begrudgingly, having decided to hate personality tests because he felt he could not be put in a box. — Can You Ever Really Change? 00:00:00
years ago · told 2017-12-29 by Hank: Hank says retaking a Myers-Briggs test online made it very clear he has changed a lot: five-years-ago Hank would have answered differently. — Can You Ever Really Change? 00:01:41
used to · told 2017-12-29 by Hank: Hank says he is now much more a planner than the improviser he was, partly from having a child and partly from a team of 15 people, and he likes working that way. — Can You Ever Really Change? 00:01:52
used to · told 2018-11-06 by John: John posts much less than he used to but still spends huge swaths of time on those platforms; all his attempts at an information diet or dumbing down his phone have failed. · story: John turns his phone into a 'dumb phone' and changes how he follows the news (2016) — Taking a Year Off 00:02:26
years ago · told 2018-11-23 by Hank: Hank recalls being excited, after having a baby a couple of years ago, to officially tell dad jokes; now Orin, barely two, is telling jokes himself. · story: Hank and Katherine have a baby, Orin (2016) — Four Jokes from a Two year Old 00:00:00
back then · told 2018-12-11 by John: The internet then charged by the hour; John wanted many hours, and his parents, though supportive, needed to pay the mortgage and told him to cut back. — When the Internet Came Home 00:01:27
used to · told 2019-02-01 by Hank: Hank says he often uploaded others' content, like a music video for a Willie Nelson song and his arguably parody song The Subway Where I Used to Go; none were blocked, only claimed, their AdSense money going to the labels. — We Have Destroyed Copyright Law 00:01:27
years ago · told 2019-03-26 by John: John signs off to go back to watching things he imagined 15 years ago become visible. — Optimism and Spider People: Question Tuesday from the Looking for Alaska Set 00:02:26
years ago · told 2019-04-16 by John: John says a Birmingham, Alabama mayoral candidate's slogan, 'Larry Langford, let's do something', became a catchphrase in his family. — Doing Somethings 00:02:26
years ago · told 2019-07-16 by John: John blabbered to Dan Howell at VidCon last weekend, couldn't form a sentence meeting Zadie Smith seven years ago, and wonders if Rebecca Lowe saw his hands shaking. — star struck 00:00:00
long ago · told 2019-09-24 by John: In a comment John says his uncut vlogbrothers videos run 45-60 minutes and are boring and repetitive; without jump cuts he would have quit long ago. — I, Too, Dislike It 00:00:00
years ago · told 2019-10-15 by John: John did not make the show, but remembers waiting for Turtles All the Way Down reviews two years ago with constant nausea, so he is happy and relieved for its makers. — I'm Having a Lot of Feelings 00:00:58
years ago · told 2019-10-15 by John: Ten years ago John mostly saw his anxiety as an embarrassing character weakness and talked about it only to mock it and himself. — I'm Having a Lot of Feelings 00:02:26
years ago · told 2019-10-25 by Hank: In a comment reply Hank says he draws a salary as CEO of Complexly and DFTBA but mostly already made his money: he sold VidCon a couple of years ago. — Unscripted and Unhinged 00:00:00
years ago · told 2019-10-28 by John: John says he learned to tie a bandana at summer camp 30 years ago and bets he can still do it. — PIZZAMAS IS HERE!!!! 00:02:09
years ago · told 2019-12-10 by John: Though he set the story 20 years ago, a similar isolation pulled John under much more recently: he felt separate from the world and adrift from friends and family who loved him. — On Loneliness 00:02:11
years ago · told 2020-01-03 (said on 2020-01-02, implied) by Hank: Hank says that ten years ago today he knows exactly where he was: inside a Target for 15 hours. — Re-Thinking our YouTube Channel 00:00:00
years ago · told 2020-01-21 by John: A few years ago Mike Rugnetta gave John Elaine Scarry's The Body in Pain, which he would never otherwise have read and which totally changed how he thinks about pain and language. — Gifts That Changed My Life 00:00:58
years ago · told 2020-01-28 by John: The description corrects the video: the Looking Away video was made five, not six, years ago. — Looking Away (Again) 00:00:00
years ago · told 2020-01-28 by John: John recalls making a video from Ethiopia six years ago called Looking Away, about listening to and supporting people living in absolute poverty. · story: John keeps looking away while filming sick children and worried mothers in Ethiopia (2014) — Looking Away (Again) 00:02:20
years ago · told 2020-02-11 by John: Almost exactly three years ago (2017) John finished a 100-day fitness challenge with his best friend Chris, documented on YouTube; now he shares the good and bad of over 1,000 days of exercise. — 1,100 Days: A Mental and Physical Health Update 00:00:00
years ago · told 2020-02-11 by John: John's mental health is probably the best it's ever been: still mentally ill and on daily medication, but his rolling 90-day average is much better than 5, 10 or 15 years ago. (hedged) — 1,100 Days: A Mental and Physical Health Update 00:01:27
years ago · told 2020-04-07 by John: John, more sentimental than his 'wondrously unsentimental' wife, recalls that when he met Sarah 17 years ago she worked at a gallery and already wrote with rare accessible rigor. — I am an artist. 00:00:20
years ago · told 2020-07-03 by Hank: About ten years ago Hank bought a softbox and has used it in every Vlogbrothers video filmed at home since, until today. — My World's on Fire 00:00:00
used to · told 2020-09-22 by John: John says autumn used to seem to arrive all at once, but now time is unfolding differently, and autumn has arrived slowly, with much more uncertainty and even menace. — the world is gonna roll me 00:00:29
years ago · told 2020-09-29 by John: John remembers a walk ten years ago (2010) 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. · story: John visits Esther Earl and her Nerdfighter friends in Boston (July 2010) — How 'bout Yours? 00:00:29
used to · told 2020-10-02 (said on 2020-10-01, implied) by Hank: Hank says they began the idea on April 21, 2020, as everyone was getting used to a big deal changing their lives for a long time. — I ain't she was with well and I so and it's and but so and I'll and 00:00:32
used to · told 2020-10-06 by Hank: Hank says he likes, or maybe used to like, mosh pits, which he thinks he has never said online; he may have had his last one. (hedged) — Something Important I've Never Talked About 00:00:00
years ago · told 2020-10-07 (said on 2020-10-06, implied) by John: John recalls that 13 and a half years ago (March 2007) he was hospitalized for about a week with orbital cellulitis, a staph infection behind his eye. · story: John's orbital cellulitis and hospital stay (2007) — The Golden Age of Vlogbrothers 00:00:00
years ago · told 2020-10-30 by Hank: Four years ago today Hank was in the hospital, tired, a little anxious and very happy to have a healthy baby boy and a healthy wife who was now a mom. · story: Hank and Katherine have a baby, Orin (2016) — Four Years Ago 00:00:00
years ago · told 2020-12-08 by John: John says a few years ago the brothers decided their portion of the profits from these businesses should go to charity. — A Love Letter to My Brother, Basically 00:01:27
back then · told 2021-01-26 by John: In a comment John says that back then he only ever gave things four and a half stars, as a build-up to his review of sunsets. — The Sycamore Tree: The Anthropocene Reviewed 00:00:00
years ago · told 2021-02-12 by Hank: Hank recalls that a couple of years ago John called him to pitch an idea, unusually since Hank is usually the one pitching; it was big, uncomfortable and really good. — Doing Better 00:00:03
years ago · told 2021-02-12 by Hank: When John asked him a few years ago to give a significant share of his current money and promise much of his future earnings to people seeking the best solutions, Hank swallowed hard and said yes. — Doing Better 00:02:35
years ago · told 2021-02-26 by Hank: Hank's son Orin, bouncing on the couch singing the alphabet song, as usual swapped K and J, as he has since learning it almost two years ago. — Arbitrary but Useful 00:00:00
used to · told 2021-02-26 by Hank: At two, Orin called himself 'you' ('you are thirsty'), which made sense since everyone called him you; one day, without anyone noticing, he switched to 'I'. — Arbitrary but Useful 00:00:44
years ago · told 2021-03-16 by John: John has always had a voice in his US covers thanks to Julie Strauss-Gabel, his editor since his first book was published 16 years ago. — How a Book Cover Gets Designed 00:00:29
years ago · told 2021-07-13 by John: A few years ago John wrote a video on how a symptom of both panic attacks and heart attacks is a 'sense of impending doom', and how hard it is to know how to respond to that feeling. — The Vlogbrothers Videos I Didn't Make 00:01:08
years ago · told 2021-07-13 by John: Years ago John wrote a would-be funny video on the brothers' differences and how Nerdfighteria's factions might line up in a civil dispute; Rosianna said it would get many views but weaken the community. — The Vlogbrothers Videos I Didn't Make 00:03:21
years ago · told 2021-08-10 by John: Three and a half years ago (November 2017) John was diagnosed with labyrinthitis, a viral inflammation of the inner ear: he went from a slight head cold to incapacitating vertigo, fell over, vomited and was rushed to hospital. · story: John's labyrinthitis after the Turtles All the Way Down tour (2017) — My Physicalmental Illness 00:00:00
years ago · told 2021-10-12 by John: Running through forest without reception, John could not text Sarah or check GPS, and realized this was the human story until just fifteen years ago. — Fine, I'll take the bait. 00:02:55
years ago · told 2021-10-14 by John: The real answer is personal: looking at himself 12 years ago, John wonders at how he wanted to be popular; then he got enough popularity to want it less. — Pizza Sized Johns or John Sized Pizza? It's Question Thursday 00:01:57
used to · told 2021-10-15 by Hank: Pizzamas used to be extra work for Hank; now it is less, a creative vacation in which he drops his other work and makes things. — What is Pizzamas? ...and a New Friend 00:01:27
years ago · told 2021-11-02 by John: John says he insulates himself from precarity as much as possible: he quit smoking 20 years ago, has insurance, and has financial security that eases stress and allows professional risks and support for his kids. — enough 00:02:36
years ago · told 2021-11-09 by John: John recalls Hank and people at DFTBA.com pitching a sock subscription a couple of years ago, with all profit to stronger health systems in poor communities; John said it was not a million-dollar idea. — Hank Green's Million Dollar Ideas 00:02:16
long ago · told 2021-11-19 by Hank: On TikTok, where the crowd is different and often younger, Hank sometimes sees conversations being had that he and everyone he knows finished long ago. — How do We Get Anything Done At All? 00:00:00
used to · told 2021-11-23 (said on 2021-10-28, implied) by John: Work, once the most important thing in John's life, his primary self-identifier and measure of his value, no longer is; he has worked hard over five years to get away from that thinking. — I have been playing a small trick on you. 00:00:00
years ago · told 2021-11-30 by John: John says he knows as little about how to write the book he is currently writing as he knew about writing Looking for Alaska, 18 years ago. — Vlogbrothers REUNITED AT LAST 00:03:24
years ago · told 2021-12-21 by John: Years ago at a party a very famous person asked John whether he was the science one or the other one; he said the other one, since Hank was always the science one. — NOW I AM THE SCIENCE ONE… 00:00:00
years ago · told 2021-12-21 by John: A longtime nerdfighter commented that 13 years ago John said the reverse: he had a crazy idea every 45 minutes and counted on Hank to call it terrible. — NOW I AM THE SCIENCE ONE… 00:01:27
years ago · told 2021-12-24 by Hank: Hank made a video on this channel ten years ago about how amazing the James Webb Space Telescope would be, and now it is headed to space. — 29 Days of Astronomical Terror 00:00:00
years ago · told 2022-02-01 by John: John recalls a Kenneth Koch poem, introduced to him over 20 years ago by his late friend Amy Krouse Rosenthal, saying that of a social life, love and hard work you may have only two. — This Video Is Actually Three Videos 00:00:00
years ago · told 2022-02-04 by Hank: Hank says the term comes from a Vlogbrothers week of top 10 lists: the videos did about 10 times better than average but did not grow the community or teach anything. — How John and I Talk About Ideas 00:02:18
years ago · told 2022-02-15 by John: John's most financially valuable book is probably a first edition of Slaughterhouse-Five, a gift from Sarah years ago, now worth about $2,000 and stressful to touch. (hedged) — My Most Valuable Books 00:00:29
years ago · told 2022-03-25 by Hank: Hank says that ten years ago, starting Crash Course, he thought students mainly needed better learning tools; they do, and he is proud of Crash Course's work there. — US College Students Need Help 00:00:00
years ago · told 2022-04-05 by John: 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. · story: John co-hosts a stop on Joe Biden's book tour and is struck by his listening — Celebrities I've Met and Whether I'd Vote for Them??? 00:01:27
used to · told 2022-04-22 by Hank: Hank once thought he might do a gaming channel, hence the corner, kept because it looks cool; he now has a microscopy station instead, which has brought him tremendous joy. — My Life is on My Walls 00:00:58
years ago · told 2022-05-27 by Hank: Hank recalls that about ten years ago he was due to make a video on 14 December 2012 and had an idea for it, but the Sandy Hook attack happened, so he made a short, honest video instead; he has just rewatched it. — The Time for Politics 00:00:00
used to · told 2022-09-23 by Hank: Hank is at the YouTube Creator Summit, an event YouTube used to throw for creators, the first in a long time; he is excited to see old friends and make new ones. — The Real Difference Between YouTube and TikTok 00:00:00
years ago · told 2023-01-10 by John: John notes The Fault in Our Stars came out 11 years ago today (10 January 2012) and calls it a strange 11 years. — Introducing: The Format 00:00:00
used to · told 2023-01-10 by John: John shows the chair where he writes all day, usually looked from rather than at, facing his favorite painting, which carries him away. — Introducing: The Format 00:02:08
years ago · told 2023-01-20 by Hank: Hank says an aquarium is more complicated than pumping in seawater and adding fish, and that he made a whole video about it three years ago. — Behind the Scenes in the Deep Sea 00:00:34
years ago · told 2023-03-07 by John: John's first novel, Looking for Alaska, was published in hardcover almost exactly 18 years ago. — What's the Deal with Paperback Publishing? 00:00:00
years ago · told 2023-04-07 by Hank: Hank says a few years ago he decided to try to get big on TikTok because he missed being part of a new platform's rise, as with YouTube. (hedged) · story: Hank joins TikTok and posts several TikToks a day (2020) — Getting One Million LinkedIn Followers 00:00:00
used to · told 2023-05-09 by John: John's pepper seeds in his bathtub have become full pepper plants, almost ready to be planted in the garden. — on hope 00:02:20
years ago · told 2023-07-18 by John: John says five years ago, at 40, he thought himself fairly well informed but did not know tuberculosis was the world's deadliest infectious disease, which is part of why he is now obsessed with it. · story: John reads widely about tuberculosis and 19th-century illness (2022) — Tuberculosis Fighters Have a Posse 00:00:00
used to · told 2023-07-28 by Hank: Hank says the plan is to aim a radiation beam at just the area where his lymph nodes were swollen, mapped from a high-resolution image taken at diagnosis. — Let's Try Radiation Therapy! 00:00:58
used to · told 2023-08-01 by John: John says he makes his morning coffee with Sarah's help; he once treated coffee as medicine against drowsiness from his OCD meds, but now luxuriates in it knowing the care behind it. — Three Mornings 00:00:08
years ago · told 2023-09-15 by Hank: Hank says a couple of years ago he would probably have guessed malaria, then AIDS, as the deadliest infectious disease, and needed a hint to reach tuberculosis. (hedged) — The Worst Disease in Human History 00:00:00
years ago · told 2023-11-07 by John: A couple of years ago John wrote 2,000 words of a new story on November 1 and thought 30 straight days of that would give him a 60,000-word novel, but by the fifth day he saw many problems in what he had written on the first two days. — NaFaDoYBIMSCoM 00:00:58
used to · told 2023-11-07 by John: John used to be open about his writing process, but after The Fault in Our Stars he felt he couldn't be, even on Vlogbrothers: people pressured him and guessed release seasons, with implications for a publicly traded corporation. — NaFaDoYBIMSCoM 00:02:44
used to · told 2024-01-12 by Hank: Hank says the gauge's crisp numbers look photoshopped over a messed-up AI gauge, and a reverse image search found the exact gauge used. — How to Detect AI Images (and why it doesn't matter) 00:02:05
years ago · told 2024-01-23 by John: John says he has played Tetris since it came out on the Nintendo Entertainment System 34 years ago, is pretty good, and starts at level 9 speed. — Breaking News: Complexly Signs Major Tetris Athlete 00:00:13
years ago · told 2024-01-23 by John: John recalls that Hank made a song many years ago, The Man Who Throws the Tetris Piece, about how you cannot beat the god behind Tetris. — Breaking News: Complexly Signs Major Tetris Athlete 00:01:35
used to · told 2024-01-30 by John: John used to think completing the project meant finishing Brotherhood 2.0 on December 31, 2007, or finishing the Maternal Center of Excellence, but he didn't feel finished then and doesn't now. — How Vlogbrothers Will End 00:03:05
years ago · told 2024-04-19 by Hank: Hank recounts that four years ago a post on the MenWritingWomen subreddit, with 5,100 upvotes, held up his novel An Absolutely Remarkable Thing over the line about the main character closing her boob in a door. — I Closed My Boob in a Door 00:00:00
used to · told 2024-07-12 by Hank: In a comment Hank says he used to have more energy. — My Identity Crisis 00:00:00
years ago · told 2024-08-13 by John: John recalls that several years ago he and Hank both got Gmail warnings that a foreign government had accessed their email, and they moved on. — The Time a Spy Visited Me Because of P*tin. 00:00:00
years ago · told 2024-09-20 by Hank: Hank says almost exactly four years ago (September 2020) he uploaded his first TikTok; his fourth got millions of views, and with a book coming and his fascination with platforms he pushed hard into TikTok. · story: Hank joins TikTok and posts several TikToks a day (2020) — Do I Regret TikTok? 00:00:00
years ago · told 2024-10-22 by John: John says five years ago he didn't know tuberculosis was still a thing; he thought of it as a disease of 19th-century Romantic poets, not a present-tense phenomenon. — My New Book: Everything Is Tuberculosis 00:00:22
used to · told 2024-11-13 by John: John says North Carolina was hard hit by recent storms, and where their parents used to live was very hard hit, with all their neighbors struggling. — Some New Things… 00:54:40
used to · told 2025-01-07 by John: 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. · story: John's yearly January letters to himself: a look back and goals for the new year — The Format but it hurts to stand up 00:02:59
a long time ago · told 2025-01-10 by Hank: Hank, in Los Angeles, says he recorded this video long in advance because he is busy making a new show he can't yet talk about. — SECRET PROJECT ANNOUNCEMENT! 00:00:00
years ago · told 2025-01-21 by John: John says his first book, Looking for Alaska, came out almost 20 years ago, when audiobooks were mostly called books on tape or CD and came in boxes. — Do Audiobooks Count As Reading? 00:00:12
used to · told 2025-01-24 by Hank: Hank says mentally it has been a trial: he is far more anxious and maybe has a little less energy than before. (hedged) — Am I OK? 00:01:21
years ago · told 2025-04-22 by John: John recalls that a few years ago (November 2017), with labyrinthitis, he was stuck in bed with his eyes closed for two weeks because opening them made him throw up. · story: John's labyrinthitis after the Turtles All the Way Down tour (2017) — The Unimportant Things 00:00:00
years ago · told 2025-05-27 (said on 2025-05-25, implied) by John: John wears the exact outfit he wore nine years ago when Wimbledon last made it to Wembley, taken from a mothballed closet, while insisting he is not superstitious. — The Longest (and best) Day 00:01:10
used to · told 2025-06-03 by John: John says he missed writing fiction, as he once put it, the way you miss someone you used to love. — My Lies 00:02:20
years ago · told 2025-07-04 by Hank: Hank says that around five years ago he saw a graph that changed his life, and he shows it hoping it changes viewers' lives too. — This Graph Changed My Life 00:02:27
used to · told 2025-08-29 by Hank: Hank says that as a little kid he had to focus extremely hard on understanding spoken and written language, until his brain developed the pathways and it became normal; he wonders whether everything was like poetry at first. — Does Anyone Else Have This? 00:01:27
used to · told 2025-08-29 by Hank: Hank recalls going to poetry readings when he was in a writing program and having no idea what happened. · story: Hank cannot hear poetry ('poetry blindness') (2025) — Does Anyone Else Have This? 00:02:26
long ago · told 2025-10-03 by John: John talked about this with MatPat and Steph when they retired from YouTube not long ago; they told him he would know when he was done. — Is It Time to Retire? 00:00:58
used to · told 2025-10-09 by John: John says he used to be a confirmed inside cat, but that has changed over the last 20 years: these days he likes getting outside and feeling the air on his skin. — I Like Being Alive 00:00:00
used to · told 2025-11-21 by Hank: Hank says that when he did science in labs he thought science was the pile of known things plus techniques like spectroscopy, replication and the scientific method. — I Wasn't Always Like This!! 00:01:43
years ago · told 2025-11-24 by Hank: Hank recalls buying the good.store URL years ago, knowing he would eventually use it, and hoping it would become what it has become. — Good Store Holiday Gift Guide LIVE with Hank and John 00:10:38
back then · told 2025-11-28 by Hank: Hank has been watching QI for probably decades, though not legally back then. (hedged) — Three Things! (Wait, no, actually four...) 00:04:12
used to · told 2025-12-09 by John: John recalls ihatei4.com, one of Hank's first viral sensations, which brought local news to their house; on it Hank railed against car culture in Central Florida, where I-4 is notoriously terrible. — Hank Green, from A to Z 00:01:56
years ago · told 2025-12-09 by John: John says Hank even has numbers covered with 2D Glasses, which render 3D movies in two dimensions and which he invented fifteen years ago. — Hank Green, from A to Z 00:05:21
long ago · told 2026-02-13 by John: John says Willie Nelson, at 94, is still on the road, and that he went to see him not long ago. — Project for Awesome 2026 Kickoff! 01:04:53
used to · told 2026-02-13 by John: Asked about a second 100 Days, John says he doesn't know: at 48 he can't move as he did at 39, when he made 100 Days, but he could maybe do it with Henry. — Project for Awesome 2026 Kickoff! 03:05:49
years ago · told 2026-02-13 by John: John shows a poster for Harvey, a very important movie in his life, given to him by his mentor Bill Ott, who died a couple of years ago. — Project for Awesome 2026 Kickoff! 03:13:17
back then · told 2026-02-13 by John: John says he once thought smoking cool and earnestness the worst thing to be; now he thinks smoking the lamest thing, handing money to tobacco companies, and earnestness super underrated. · story: John's teenage mistreatment of his body and later quitting smoking and running (c. 1993-2005) — Project for Awesome 2026 Kickoff! 07:14:39
years ago · told 2026-02-15 by John: John recently reread Zombicorns, the zombie apocalypse novella he wrote about 15 years ago for the Project for Awesome, the first time he had ever reread his own work, and found he liked it and was proud of himself. — Project for Awesome 2026 part 5! 02:36:45
used to · told 2026-02-15 by John: John says the last seven years of working on his novel taught him that writing, like art, is done for others but also for one's own clarity and fulfillment: it need not be read to be fulfilling. He used to think it was only for other people. · story: John writes his first novel in almost ten years (2025) — Project for Awesome 2026 part 5! 02:37:14
years ago · told 2026-05-08 by Hank: Hank once thought it would be fun to party on the day he would have died without cancer treatment: had he been born 100 years ago, lived where Hodgkin's is mistaken for TB, or refused treatment. · story: Hank's Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis and chemotherapy (2023) — My Deathday 00:00:00
used to · told 2026-05-22 by Hank: Hank says this was not new: as a blogger he was jealous of Gizmodo, TreeHugger, TechCrunch and another site. — Why I Made Crash Course a Non-Profit 00:00:50
used to · told 2026-05-26 by John: John's comment says they made money from vlogbrothers until about 2012 and never took money out of Complexly, but got a small salary and health insurance through it. (hedged) — Hank Green Is a Fool 00:00:00
long ago · told 2026-05-29 by Hank: Hank recalls a weird decision he and John made long ago: just as they never felt Complexly's value was theirs, they felt the same about the money the Vlogbrothers channel generates. — Chemo Cow Body Odor YouTube Helen Hunt Commute 00:01:51
long ago · told 2026-09-01 by John: John has not been in that dorm room for 30 years and never will be again, because it was torn down long ago. — You Can't Go Home Again, but I Tried 00:04:15
years ago · told 2026-09-22 by John: 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. · story: A bookseller ships over a thousand copies of The Fault in Our Stars three weeks early (December 2011) — I Want You to Know Nothing About This 00:03:14
years ago · told 2026-09-25 by Hank: Years ago Hank picked up a book of Isaac Asimov quotations and leafed through it; he reads John two quotes from it. — Who Has Signed Their Name the Most Times? 00:02:55
used to · told 2026-10-09 by Hank: Hank has worked many easy hours while quite lazy: scrolling Tumblr was once his job, and editing video is an easy flow state that relaxes and recharges him, more than TV. — The Productivity Lie 00:10:26