The Black Friday is 1) the name given to the shopping day after Thanksgiving. It was originally called Black Friday because so many people went out to shop that it caused traffic accidents and sometimes even violence. The name was first recorded in 1966 by Earl Apfelbaum, at the Philadelphia Police Department gave to the Friday following Thanksgiving Day. Black Friday officially opens the Christmas shopping season in center city. Retailers traditionally operated at a financial loss for most of the year (January through November) and made their profit during the holiday season, beginning on the day after Thanksgiving. 2) Black Friday, September 24, 1869 was caused by the efforts of two speculators, Jay Gould and James Fisk, to corner the gold market on the New York Gold Exchange. The attempt failed and the gold market collapsed, causing the stock market to plummet.
