11 people whose random acts of kindness took over the internet

The world isn't always a friendly, happy place, but there are some nice people out there who spread kindness just because — and end up becoming internet-famous as a result.

Here are 11 stories of people who went viral with their random acts of kindness.

This 17-year-old surprised his classmates with special needs by buying them sneakers after they said they liked his shoes.

Roderick Mathis, a 17-year-old senior at Lancaster High School, has pretty cool shoes. When his classmates with special needs told him that they liked his Vans sneakers, he decided to get them pairs of their own.

He shared a video of the sweet surprise on Twitter, where it has been viewed more than 3.68 million times.

"They told me they liked my shoes, and I promise[d] them I'll get them some so I did," he captioned the video.

Strangers bought a car for a fast food worker after finding out he walked 3 miles to and from work every day.

Andy Mitchell offered a ride to a man he saw walking on the side of the road in 95 degree Texas heat.

The man, Justin Corva, told Mitchell that he walked three miles to and from work every day because he couldn't afford a car.

Inspired by his tenacity, Mitchell snapped a selfie with him and posted it on Facebook. Local business owners heard about Corva's situation and came together to raise enough money to provide him with a 2004 Toyota Camry, a year of insurance, two years of oil changes, and $500 of gas. 

Corva's emotional reaction streamed on Facebook Live garnered around 358,000 views.

Read more here.

A dad asked the internet to send his bullied son birthday wishes and "broke Twitter" when celebrities responded.

A Twitter user named Christopher (@Hopenlesmyth) asked people on Twitter if they knew of someone famous who could send birthday messages to his son Ollie for his ninth birthday. In a series of tweets, he explained that Ollie was being bullied by someone who kept making him feel worthless, and that he could use some positive energy on his big day.

Ollie's parents were overwhelmed by the number of kind, enthusiastic responses — 6,500 replies and 14,000 retweets, to be exact. People around the world sent Ollie their best, as did celebrities like actor Russell Crowe and YouTube stars Alfie Deyes and Zoe Sugg.

Read more here.