Ishowspeed Left Speechless After Discovering Ethiopia is Still in 2018.
Popular American streamer and YouTuber iShowSpeed (real name Darren Watkins Jr.) had one of his most hilarious and mind-blowing reactions yet during his ongoing "Speed Does Africa" IRL tour. While live-streaming in Ethiopia, the high-energy content creator was genuinely shocked to learn that the country follows its own ancient calendar system, putting it roughly 7–8 years behind the Gregorian calendar used by most of the world.
In clips rapidly spreading across Instagram, TikTok, X, Facebook, and YouTube (as of January 14, 2026), Speed can be heard yelling in disbelief: “WAIT… it’s 2018?!” and “Nah, you trolling, cause it’s 2026!” as a local guide explains the difference. The Ethiopian calendar, rooted in Coptic and Orthodox Christian traditions, has 13 months (12 with 30 days each, plus a short 13th month called Pagume with 5 or 6 days in leap years) and begins its New Year around September 11–12. This results in the current Gregorian year 2026 corresponding to Ethiopian year 2018.
Speed quickly connected the dots in classic chaotic fashion, exclaiming: “So Ronaldo is still in Real Madrid? Yes! Everything is in the past here!” He then realized his own age would rewind: “In 2018, I was 13. So I’m 13 years old now!” — joking about being a teenager again, with Fortnite just launching and Cristiano Ronaldo still dominating at Real Madrid (before his 2018 move to Juventus and later Al-Nassr).
This isn't Speed's first viral Africa moment on the tour, but the calendar reveal has become one of the standout highlights, racking up millions of views in just hours.
Viewers are loving how his over-the-top reactions turn cultural discoveries into comedy gold.Ethiopia remains one of the few nations (alongside some Orthodox contexts) to maintain this ancient calendar.
