There is no exact information about the name “Big Apple” for New York City, but there are a large number of versions. In the 1930s and 1940s, the nickname was very popular, thanks to Americans’ love of jazz. Then it was forgotten about until the 1970s. With the light hand of the city tour bureau, which made a successful marketing move to popularize it, manufacturers began to produce bags, magnets, T-shirts, souvenirs, on which the logo of the “Big Apple” was depicted. Today, it is found at every step (on merchandise, city signs, billboards). The huge glass store of the Apple brand located in Manhattan has also become a symbol of the city. In the 1930s and 1940s, the nickname was very popular, thanks to Americans’ love of jazz. Then it was forgotten about until the 1970s. With the light hand of the city tour bureau, which made a successful marketing move to popularize it, manufacturers began to produce bags, magnets, T-shirts, souvenirs, on which the logo of the “Big Apple” was depicted. Today, it is found at every step (on merchandise, city signs, billboards).A huge glass store of Apple brand located in Manhattan has also become a symbol of the city.
A huge glass store of Apple brand located in Manhattan has also become a symbol of the city.
From the history of New York City.
Modern New York, which is worthy of being one of the most famous megacities in the world, was the birthplace of the Indians. As settlers arrived, the city’s names began to change:
The first Italian explorer, Giovanni Verazano, gave it the name New Angouleme, which lasted only a year.
The next traveler, Henry Hudson, was from Holland. He gave the city the name New Amsterdam.
New York acquired its modern name with the arrival of the English. The Duke (of York), who seized land that belonged to the Dutch, bought the island, assigned his own name to the city (New York). The nickname “Big Apple” came much later and had several versions, each with its own backstory.
On popular assumptions about the origin of the nickname “Big Apple”
Nicknames usually contain a mystery, because the clue is hidden in the history of its creation. It lies not on the surface, the level of external resemblance, but much deeper. There are no external similarities between the city and its nickname, but there are versions, digging into the content of which you can find the reason for the name.
The assumption of Brighton Beach guides
A stream of travelers to New York City usually hears from Brighton Beach guides a well-known conjecture about the history of its nickname. It is attributed to a fact that occurred several centuries ago. According to the guides, it was given in connection with the appearance in America of settlers who came from different countries. When they arrived in the new lands, they brought with them the horticultural culture of growing fruit trees. The first crop was the apple tree, which became the source of New York’s nickname.
A version of New York’s nickname from an airplane
There is the simplest assumption that the nickname came from the first flights of airplanes over the city. Pilots from a great height saw the resemblance of the city to the outline of a large-sized apple.
Jazz fans on the origin of the New York City nickname
Jazz became popular in the first half of the 20th century. Advanced bands were coming to New York City, bringing the city’s residents into excitement. Musicians were coming here in the hope of making a fortune and gaining recognition. In their circle there was an expression: “There are a lot of apples on the tree of success, but if you can win New York, you get the big apple. The phrase was picked up, and the city was nicknamed the Big Apple.
About the jazz band in Manhattan
The nickname “The Big Apple” is attributed to a jazz band whose career began in Manhattan in tenth-century Manhattan. Huge numbers of fans gathered at impromptu performances by the talented musicians. Over time, the concert venue acquired the name “The Big Apple”. It later transferred to the island and then to the city.
By the 1930s, there was a hit with the name “Big Apple,” which became a favorite dance music. Later, a dance with the same name was formed. The nickname was promoted by its constant utterance on radio programs by host Walter Winchell, who referred to New York as “The Big Apple.
