Black Friday is universally known as the kickoff to the holiday shopping season, but its roots are far more complex and unexpected than mere retail sales. The term's journey spans over a century, beginning in 1869 with a dramatic financial crash on Wall Street. On September 24 of that year, two speculators, Jay Gould and James Fisk, attempted to corner the U.S. gold market, leading to a sudden market collapse, widespread financial ruin, and the initial use of "Black Friday" by newspapers to describe the economic devastation. Nearly a century later, in the 1950s, the term reappeared in Philadelphia, taking on its modern retail connotation. Local police officers coined "Black Friday" to describe the chaotic aftermath of Thanksgiving, when massive crowds of shoppers and football fans (for the Army–Navy game) flooded the city, causing gridlocked streets, traffic jams, increased shoplifting, and extended, stressful shifts for law enforcement. Retailers, disliking the negative tone, attempted to rebrand it as "Big Friday" in 1961, but the effort failed, and the original term persisted. By the 1970s and early 1980s, Black Friday spread nationally. To counter its negative origins, retailers introduced a marketing narrative: Black Friday was the day stores finally turned a profit, moving "from the red to the black." This positive spin resonated with consumers and became part of its popular mythology. From the 1980s to the 1990s, the tradition solidified with major discounts, earlier store openings, and heavy promotion, cementing its status as the biggest shopping day of the year. The 2000s brought even greater intensity, with stores opening at midnight and "doorbuster" deals creating a uniquely American cultural spectacle. The late 2000s and 2010s saw the rise of e-commerce transform Black Friday into a multi-day event, leading to the creation of Cyber Monday in 2005. Today, Black Friday has expanded globally, adopted by countries worldwide regardless of their Thanksgiving traditions, purely for its immense retail potential. Its transformation from a symbol of economic disaster and urban disorder to a global consumer event highlights a fascinating evolution of language and culture.