#JeSuisCharlie: The Twitter hashtag heard 'round the world after Paris terror attack

By RYAN GORMAN

Millions on Twitter rushed to proclaim solidarity with the 12 victims killed in a horrifying terror attack on the Paris office of satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo

That mad dash has now been captured in two stunning visuals illustrating how many people stood with the paper in saying "I am Charlie."

A map-based visualization shows the tweets as the trend started in France before quickly crossing borders to shoot around the world. Western Europe and the eastern U.S. appear to have been the quickest to jump on board the sympathetic cause.

The explosion of light seen in both locales shows the staying power the tweets had in the immediate aftermath of Wednesday's attack.

Another visualization plots out the number of tweets per minute that were sent using the #JeSuisCharlie hashtag.

The tweets first started as a trickle, but then shot through the roof to a peak of more than 4,000 per minute at 7:15 p.m. in Paris.

Among the most retweeted #JeSuisCharlie tweets were by the BBC, El Extrarradio and the Washington Post.

​Millions tweeted the hashtag or held up signs in pictures posted to Twitter as the night wore on. French media outlets adopted the slogan and were soon followed by many across the globe.

"Je suis Charlie" has come to symbolize defiance in the face of a violent enemy.

It has transcended Twitter to be held on signs in rallies, been displayed on stadium video boards and broadcast around the world.

The hashtag has taken on much greater meaning. It defiantly shouts from the rooftops that we are not afraid.

We are all Charlie.