One Direction Through the Years

One Direction are the kind of global phenomenon that no one really expected. It's true that there have been boy bands long before any of the guys were conceived, and so long as there are beautiful boys and hormone-fueled teens, there will always be a need for a new crop of swoopy-haired heartthrobs.

But One Direction have achieved the kind of success that feels nearly inexplicable. Sure, they don't have the album sales of Taylor Swift (really, who does?) nor do they have the notoriety of Ed Sheeran. But there's something about their endearing inability to dance paired with their catchy pop songs that continues to allow them to sell out world-wide stadium tours, four years into their career.

As with most boybands, there have been incredible highs and debilitating lows -- the latter of which was met when Zayn Malik decided to leave the band mid-world-tour earlier this year. We're not sure we'll ever get past the heartache we've suffered from that moment in time, but so long as the four remaining members of One Direction persevere, we'll make every effort to do the same.

We've compiled a bunch of photos of One Direction throughout the years. From their humble 'X Factor' beginnings to thanking the wrong radio station at the Brits and beyond, we've captured every outfit and every haircut as we watched them grow from Boyz II Men (...get it?) right before our very eyes.

Check it out above, and be prepared to be amazed by the magic that is puberty.

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