The origin of the name of this fruit salad is obscure. Some say it was named after the Watergate Hotel where it was supposedly first served after being invented by a chef there. Others claim it was given the name by a food editor in a newspaper article after trying it. The original recipe gained popularity during the Watergate scandal in the early 1970s which was so infamous that numerous recipes from that time bear the same name like Watergate Cake. Regardless, this easy dessert remains a classic today!