Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade fun facts
- November 24th, 2010 8:26 am CT
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Looking for fun Thanksgiving facts to learn more about the holiday? Check out these great facts about the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Facts About the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
1. The first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, in 1924, was the brainchild of Macy’s employees, many of whom were European immigrants The intent was to celebrate the traditions of their homelands. Four hundred employees participated in the first parade and it also included live animals.
2. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has appeared every year since 1924 with the exception of 1942-1944, when Macy’s donated the balloons to the war effort.
3. The Macy’s parade route is 2 ½ miles. The parade has over 2.5 million live viewers in New York City and another 44 million tune in to NBC from home to watch the live broadcast.
4. The first balloons: Felix the Cat, the Dragon, the Elephant, and the Toy Solider exploded when they were released. The designer forgot that helium expands at high altitudes.
5. 1939 was the first year that pop culture icon balloons appeared. Superman made his debut this year.
6. Santa Claus has brought up the rear of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade every year except 1933; that year he led the parade.
7. Thanks to the parade, Macy's is the world's second largest consumer of helium, second only to the United States government.
8. The first time the parade was televised was 1945.
9. In the early days of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, balloons were released at the end of the parade with a prize for whoever found them and returned them. The contest stopped after a pilot almost crashed trying to catch one.
10. More than 1,000 unpaid volunteers help to set up the balloons before the Macy's parade.
The 84th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade airs tomorrow, November 25, 2010 on NBC, Time Warner Cable channel 3, KCEN, from 8 -11 a.m. (CT).
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