Childhood friends Mike and Doug began the blog in May 2009 after Mike saw an awkward vacation photo hung in his parents' house. Realizing there were probably plenty of other people out there with their own awkward family images, the two friends decided to create a friendly place where everyone could come together and share their uncomfortable family moments. Thus, Awkward Family Photos was born. The authors started by posting a few of their own childhood photos and those provided by friends, and the site quickly took off and became an internet sensation. The brand has grown to include two NY Times bestselling books, a greeting card line with American Greetings, a board game, a calendar,a museum exhibition that has been traveling the country for five years, and most recently, a restaurant experience being developed in Alexandria, VA. AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com has been archived by the Library of Congress as a cultural artifact.