Wednesday, June 24, 2026

Question: Long before it was the world’s tech capital, the Santa Clara Valley, today known as Silicon Valley, was famous for its orchards and went by a much sweeter nickname. What was it?

Answer: The “Valley of Heart’s Delight.” For decades, the Santa Clara Valley was blanketed with fruit orchards and known by that nickname. The term “Silicon Valley,” referring to the silicon used in semiconductor chips, was popularized by journalist Don Hoefler in a Jan. 11, 1971, Electronic News series headlined “Silicon Valley U.S.A.”