The Dancing Baby, also known as 'Baby Cha-Cha,' is widely considered the internet’s first true viral meme. Created in 1996 as a demonstration of 3D character animation by Michael Girard, the video featuring a diapered baby performing a cha-cha dance spread rapidly through email chains and early web forums. Its popularity peaked when it was featured on the hit TV show 'Ally McBeal,' symbolizing the protagonist's ticking biological clock. Decades later, the low-polygon render remains a powerful symbol of early web culture and the birth of internet humor, often used to express unbridled joy or retro-themed nostalgia.