10 Things We Bet You Didn't Know About Atlantic City - Beyond Gambling
Atlantic City, New Jersey, has long been an iconic destination. New Jersey isn't a tourist hotbed, but the people love going to Atlantic City for several reasons. The beaches are nice, but it's the gambling scene that draws the masses. It's long been a part of the cultural zeitgeist, but we bet there are a few things here you might not have known.
Fun facts about Atlantic City
1. Gambling didn't really begin until almost 1980
It feels almost impossible that people have only really been gambling in the city for about 45 years. The first casino wasn't actually built here until 1978. It was done to try to help revive the city after affordable air travel got people to leave.
2. The easiest gambling in America
Nowadays, people can gamble on their phones, so it's extremely accessible. Still, it's pretty incredible to be at a casino and not have to leave your bed to place a bet. Using the TV in the room in most of the hotels, you can bet up to $2,500.
3. Not just gambling
Atlantic City is obviously known for its gambling scene. Thanks to the lack of alternative options, the betting helped Americans flock to the city. But it's also known for saltwater taffy. Joseph Fralinger, an Atlantic City local, ran a taffy stand on the boardwalk in the late 1880s, and it's still there today. It packages 11,000 pounds of taffy every day.
4. It's the home of an iconic pageant
Atlantic City might as well be the home of modern gambling in America (excluding Vegas, of course. Nothing beats Vegas). But the city in New Jersey is also home to the first-ever Miss America pageant. What is now a staple of the beauty scene began over 100 years ago in Atlantic City, long before any casinos.
5. It inspired Monopoly
Monopoly is one of the oldest and most classic board games. It was originally inspired by the city in New Jersey. The original properties you could purchase as a thimble or hat were inspired by AC locations. Some of the names have changed, but others remain all this time later.
6. Atlantic City used to be the place to be
Now, celebrities gather in major cities like New York and Los Angeles. That didn't used to be the case. In fact, people used to leave New York and go to Atlantic City, including Marilyn Monroe, Jimmy Durante, Ed Sullivan, Joe DiMaggio, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, and The Beatles in the 50s and 60s.
7. Soldiers used it to practice
D-Day is one of the biggest events in American history, but it might've gone differently without the city. The Convention Hall in town was repurposed as an Army training facility in World War II, so soldiers practiced beachfront invasions before the real thing.
8. It's not very big
Despite its outsized stature, Atlantic City isn't actually that big. It might be the most famous city in New Jersey, but it's far from the largest. The city is the 25th-biggest in New Jersey, which is the 47th-biggest state in America.
9. It has wildly changing weather
The hottest day in Atlantic City ever was 106 degrees Fahrenheit in 1969, while the lowest ever was -11 degrees Fahrenheit in 1979. Rarely does a city reach such massive temperatures during the summer and such low ones in the winter.
10. Birdies began here
Atlantic City may not be a golfing paradise, but it is the origin of the word birdie. According to Fun World Facts, the first use of the term to describe getting one stroke under par on a hole was in the city in 1903. No one had ever described it that way before, and golf originated in the 15th century.
