It’s a gesture known around the world — an exuberant slap of open palms between two people. However, few people know how the high five — now a universal symbol of celebration — came about. It happened in a split-second on a sunny October afternoon in 1977, right on the field at Dodger Stadium. The Los Angeles Dodgers were chasing baseball history. Outfielder Dusty Baker stepped up to the plate and blasted his 30th home run of the season, becoming the fourth Dodger that year to reach that milestone. As he rounded the bases and returned to home plate, teammate Glenn Burke — waiting in the on-deck circle — instinctively raised his hand high in the air. What happened next was unscripted and electric. Baker said he didn’t know what to do, so he just slapped Burke’s hand. That slap — the first ever high five — was a spontaneous celebration between two teammates, but it quickly caught on. By the next season, fans and players alike were mimicking the motion, and the gesture began spreading to basketball courts, football fields, and playgrounds across America. More than four decades later, the high five remains one of the most enduring symbols of camaraderie in sports and everyday life — and it all started with one home run, one outstretched hand, and one perfect slap.
