Who Really Invented the High Five? | Smartest Year Ever (Sept 21, 2025)

Who really invented the high five? Gordy takes us inside the surprising and surprisingly recent story of one of the world’s most universal gestures. From Dodger Stadium in 1977 to the University of Louisville basketball courts, this episode traces the origins of the high five, its ties to sports history, and its cultural journey from jazz slang to global celebration. Along the way, Gordy uncovers how the low five paved the way and why the high five spread faster than almost any other gesture in modern times.

Perfect for sports fans, history buffs, or anyone who’s ever wondered where everyday traditions come from, this story will change the way you think about celebration.

Sources:

• Godard, J.-L. (Director). (1960). Breathless [Film]. Les Films Impéria; Société Nouvelle de Cinématographie.

• Lamster, M. (2011). High Five! The Magic of Working Together. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
  

• ESPN. (2017). The High Five Turns 40: Dodgers, Glenn Burke, and the Gesture That Took Over Sports.
  

• Calloway, C. (1938). Hepster’s Dictionary. New York: Cab Calloway Orchestra.
  

• New York Times. (2008). “Glenn Burke, Baseball Player Who Pioneered the High Five.”
  

• Courier-Journal (Louisville). (2013). “Wiley Brown Recalls the First High Five at Louisville Basketball Practice.”
  

#HistoryFacts #SportsHistory #BodyLanguage #DailyFacts #DidYouKnow #highfive #jazzculture #Lowfive #sportsculture Music thanks to Zapsplat.