AboutWhat does the meme depict?

The 'Died / Born / Welcome Back' meme template plays with the idea of reincarnation, humorously suggesting that a famous deceased individual has been reborn as a contemporary celebrity. The template typically shows a picture or a set of pictures representing a known figure along with their year of death, paired with an image of a modern celebrity and their year of birth, implying that the soul of the former has returned in the latter. A popular version of this meme juxtaposed former U.S. President Richard Nixon with rapper Ice Spice.

OriginWho did it first?

The concept initially drew inspiration from comparisons between historical figures and current celebrities who bear a physical resemblance to one another. One of the earliest instances linked former U.S. President Donald Trump to U.S. General George S. Patton, highlighting their supposed visual similarities. Further details about these comparisons can be found in an article discussing celebrities and their historical doppelgängers here. The specific format for the 'Died / Born / Welcome Back' meme was first uploaded by Reddit user /u/Squiggledog in the subreddit r/forwardsfromgrandma on August 15th, 2016, available here. This post marked the beginning of the meme's spread across various social media platforms.^[1]

Origin: 2016