One Direction turns 12, check out some remarkable facts from the band's history

12 years ago, one of the biggest musical phenomena of the 2010s was formed by the reality show X Factor. The boy band One Direction sold millions of records and introduced the world to Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik. Previously, they tried to participate in the program solo, but were not classified.

After recognizing the potential of the candidates, Simon Cowell, judge of the program and owner of the record label Syco, brought the five together as a group and led them to third place in that year's edition. The success was immediate. Soon after the end of the season, the group released the song What Makes You Beautiful, which already has more than a billion views on YouTube.

Together they have released four albums: Up All Night (2011), Take Me Home (2012), Midnight Memories (2013), Four (2014). With the records, several successful singles emerged, such as: Story of My Life, You & I and Night Changes. However, the busy schedule and management of the group soon began to cause problems for the continuity of the band.

^{Song clip What Makes You Beautiful. (Reproduction/ Youtube/ One Direction).}

In 2015, Zayn Milk left the group to pursue a solo career. At the time, he stated that he wanted to be a normal 22 year old boy. With his departure, the other four members continued with the group and released the album Made In the AM, responsible for the hit Drag Me Down. For promotions, they went on a final world tour.

In 2016, the group went on hiatus. According to Liam Paynethe decision came from the fatigue that was weighing down the members. Since then, they have pursued solo careers and released promotional content for the band's 10th anniversary. The members also often sing the group's songs at performances and fans are waiting for a reunion of the group that may happen in the future.

Featured Photo: One Direction, British musical group. Reproduction/ Disclosure/ One Direction.