New York City earned the nickname “The Big Apple” in the early 20th century. The exact origin of the term is somewhat disputed, but the most widely accepted story traces it back to the horse racing scene.

In the 1920s, John J. Fitz Gerald, a sports writer for the New York Morning Telegraph, began using the phrase “the big apple” in his columns. He picked up the term from jockeys and trainers at racetracks in and around New York, who referred to New York City as “the big apple” because the prizes and purses were larger and more prestigious than those at smaller tracks. The term suggested that New York offered the biggest and best rewards, much like the biggest and juiciest apples are the most desirable.

Later, in the 1930s, jazz musicians adopted the term “apple” as slang for any city, but especially New York City, which was considered the ultimate destination for performing artists seeking fame and fortune. Columnist Walter Winchell helped popularize the term “Big Apple” in the 1930s when he started using it in his newspaper column and radio broadcasts to describe the city’s vibrant music scene.

In the 1970s, the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau launched a marketing campaign to revitalize the city’s image after a period of economic downturn and high crime rates. They reintroduced “The Big Apple” as a nickname to promote tourism and celebrate the city’s energy, diversity, and cultural significance. Since then, the term has become synonymous with New York City worldwide, embodying its status as a global hub for business, entertainment, fashion, finance, and culture.

A third explanation suggests that the nickname was used by pilots in the 1930s and 1940s. Because of the city’s prominent position on the eastern seaboard and its bright lights at night, pilots could easily spot New York from the air, and it became known as the “Big Apple.”

Regardless of its exact origin, the nickname “Big Apple” has become a widely recognized moniker for New York City, symbolizing its grand scale, cultural significance, and the boundless energy that characterizes the city.