One Direction Members Commemorate 10th Anniversary With Personal Stories
One Direction celebrated the group's tenth anniversary on Thursday (July 23).
1D was formed by Simon Cowell when Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Zayn Malik all tried out for Season 7 of The X Factor as solo artists in 2010. Although they're now all solo artists since going on hiatus in 2016, some of the members looked back on their time together.
On Twitter, Styles shared a photo of the group hugging on stage alongside a thread of tweets.
"I’ve been struggling to put into words how grateful I am for everything that’s happened over the last ten years," Styles admitted. "I’ve seen things and places that I’d only ever [dreamed] of when I was growing up."
"I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and working with some of the most incredible people, and gained friendships that I know I will treasure for the rest of my life," he added. "None of this would be possible without the support you’ve given along the way and for that, I will be forever thankful. I just can’t believe it’s been ten years. Thank you to our crew, our team, and everyone else who helped us along the way. To all the fans, I love you, and I thank you with all my heart. You did it all, and you changed everything."
"And finally... to the boys, I love you so much, and I couldn’t be prouder of everything we achieved together. Here’s to ten," Styles concluded.
Also on Twitter, Tomlinson shared that he was "feeling pretty emotional" today.
"10 years! Spent the morning watching old interviews and performances. Just wanted to send a massive thank you to ALL of my bandmates. What we did together was incredible," he wrote.
"Too many incredible memories to mention but not a day goes by that I don't think about how amazing it was," he added. "@NiallOfficial @Harry_Styles @LiamPayne @zaynmalik so proud of you all individually."
Tomlinson then acknowledged their fan base. "And to the fans. The people who gave us all these amazing opportunities," he continued, "You are incredible, your unmatched level of [loyalty] is something that makes me really really proud. Miss it every day!"
Meanwhile, Horan said he is still amazed by what the group was able to accomplish in such a short span of time.
"When I met these four gents there was no way I thought we would go on to do what we did," Horan tweeted. "So many unbelievable memories we shared together. We felt the adoration of millions from around the planet on a daily basis and it was mind-blowing. It’s such a major part of our lives and always will be. Cheers to US today boys and thank you to all you beautiful people who have supported us over the last 10 years."
In a tweet, Payne shared a screenshot of a text he sent on the day 1D was formed. The text read, "I'm in a boy band."
"What a journey… I had no idea what we were in for when I sent this text to my Dad ten years ago at this exact time the band was formed," he explained. "Thanks to everyone that’s supported us over the years and thanks to the boys for sharing this with me. #10YearsOfOneDirection."
Horan responded to Payne's initial tweet, writing, "Love you, Payno."