Oh, how time flies! One Direction became a band on July 23, 2010, and if you need some help with the math, that is nine damn years ago. Nine! The moment that changed boy bands forever happened on The X Factor, when five boys who auditioned solo were brought together by fate (and Simon Cowell) Back when they were still babies, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, and Louis Tomlinson joined their voices as one and made pure magic. It helped that they were all adorable, too, because they sparked a worldwide frenzy among teenage girls. Nine years later, the guys are all in their twenties and successful solo artists. They’ve grown and changed, and we’re all so proud of how far they’ve come since their indefinite hiatus in 2015, following the release of their fifth studio album, Made in the A.M.
Harry, now 25, has an amazing, diverse career now. He released his self-titled solo album in 2017, and topped the charts with his debut single “Sign of the Times”. The 2019 Met Gala chair‘s solo career is still going strong, and he’s also making the move into acting. He had a role in Christopher Nolan‘s WWII drama, Dunkirk, as a soldier. It was recently reported that he was considered to play Elvis in the singer’s biopic; the role ultimately went to Austin Butler. It’s now rumored that he’s up for the role of Prince Eric in the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid. Amazing!
There was major love for the One Direction guys on Twitter as they celebrated their anniversary. The X Factor, the show where it all began, tweeted, “Who can believe it’s been 9 whole years since @onedirection were formed on The #XFactor! What a blessing #9YearsOfOneDirection” Aww! Louis, now 27, also tweeted and gave a shoutout to his guys: “So many incredible memories. Days like today are days for reflection, so proud looking back! Thank you for ALWAYS having our backs! Big love to the lads! #9YearsOfOneDirection”. Some good news: Louis, who is the now the father of a two-year-old son, Freddie, also confessed in May 2019 that the group will one day make new music together!
If you don’t feel like the crypt keeper after finding out that it’s been nine years since One Direction formed, scroll through our gallery above to see photos of the boys from back then and now. It’s a trip!