I saw that, I bet there was a lot of high fiving among the crews and officers on all the American ships, well, except that black culture hadn’t taken over America yet, so there was no high-fiving and other ghetto body antics.
The high five originated in Dodger stadium.
Here is the story:
The high five is believed to have originated in the United States during the late 1970s, with the most widely credited story pointing to a spontaneous moment in professional sports. The earliest documented instance occurred on October 2, 1977, during a Major League Baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Houston Astros. Dodgers player Dusty Baker hit a home run, and as he rounded the bases, teammate Glenn Burke greeted him at home plate with a raised hand. Baker instinctively slapped Burke’s hand, creating what is considered the first high five. Burke, an openly gay player, is often credited with popularizing the gesture, which became a symbol of celebration and camaraderie within the Dodgers and spread across sports and popular culture.
The gesture likely drew from existing cultural practices, such as handshakes, low fives, or “giving skin” in African American communities, which involved slapping hands as a greeting or sign of agreement. These roots trace back to jazz culture in the mid-20th century, where musicians used similar hand gestures to connect. The term “high five” itself reflects the elevated hand position compared to the “low five.”
By the 1980s, the high five became widespread in sports, schools, and pop culture, with media like TV shows and movies amplifying its use. While other claims exist—such as college basketball players at the University of Louisville in the late 1970s—no earlier documented instance predates the 1977 Dodgers moment. The gesture’s simplicity and energy made it a universal symbol of shared excitement.