The phrase “420” was almost certainly invented in the Bay Area in the early 1970s. But who said it first? That’s a controversial question.https://t.co/sfoxv6mckr
— SFGATE (@SFGate) April 20, 2023
Today is April 20, or 4/20, as Americans shorten it. That's become somewhat of a stoner holiday, as "420" is a code for smoking marijuana. When I was young, there were an awful lot of euphemisms for smoking pot, but 420 was unknown in my neck of the woods, because in the 1970s we didn't have instant communication via internet. However, today it's pretty much universal. Where did the number come from?
It more than 50 years ago at a high school in San Rafael, California. But there are two stories, from two different groups of high school friends, who both claim to have originated the number. They have been squabbling over it for years, and each has evidence to back up their stories. So was it the Waldos or the Beebs who coined 420? The Waldos have a more exciting story, but the Beebs story is earlier and simpler. Read the accounts of both sides from those who were there at SFGate. -via Boing Boing