Six years ago today a cartoon show literally no one believed in (not even its own production staff initially), aired for the first time. It was from a franchise the general public had largely written off a long time ago. It was criticized and ridiculed before it ever aired. By all accounts, there was absolutely no reason for this show to be decent, let alone phenomenal.

But Lauren Faust sparked a fire that swiftly spread to everyone around her. They poured more passion and hard work into My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic than any outsider would think necessary.

It became a worldwide phenomenon, inspired millions of artists of all trades, raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities, united countless friendships, spread genuine good throughout the globe, and is arguably one of the most culturally significant cartoons of all time.

And they’re really friggin’ cute to boot.