Santa Claus
Source: Print of St Nicholas by John Pintard (1810); courtesy of the New-York Historical Society via Wikimedia
Okay, maybe not invented — St. Nick goes back many centuries in European traditions. But the Santa Claus we know today, with a sleigh, a questionable commitment to fitness, and a red suit? That’s pure New York City. Washington Irving, Clement Clarke Moore, and Thomas Nast all played roles in the creation.
Source: 6sqft.com.
First Cell Phone
On April 3, 1973, on Sixth Avenue between 53rd and 54th Streets, Motorola engineer Martin Cooper reached out to Joel Engel of Bell Laboratories at AT&T. Cooper wanted his rival to know that Motorola had reached the finish line first, developing the first mobile phone. This was the world’s first ever cell phone call, made from a Manhattan sidewalk.
Chewing Gum
Source: Library of Commerce
Although people have been chewing on tree gum for thousands of years, it took a New Yorker to make an industry out of it. In 1871, Thomas Adams of Staten Island patented a machine for mass producing gum. He was turned on to the substance by Mexican general López de Santa Anna, who employed Adams as a secretary and stayed in his home while in exile. Adams went on to build a gum empire (including Chiclets), which contributes to a $30 billion dollar industry.
Source: “Made in NYC,” City Guide, March 20, 2024
Contributed by Bobbie Roggemann