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(Stacker) - The 98th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade volition diagnostic 28 clown crews, 26 floats, 16 elephantine balloons, 11 marching bands, 5 show groups, 3 "baloonicles"—cold-air inflatables driven down the parade route, and galore performers.
The parade successful New York City, presented by section store concatenation Macy's, was archetypal held successful 1924 nether the heading "Macy's Christmas Parade" to beforehand vacation income and spotlight the recently expanded and, astatine the time, largest successful the satellite Herald Square store successful Manhattan. The occurrence of the lawsuit led organizers to crook the spectacle into an yearly tradition. Each year, the parade ends extracurricular the aforesaid Herald Square Macy's location.
Stacker curated a enactment of photographs from the past period of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade to assistance exemplify the past of the iconic event.
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The lawsuit has been televised nationally since 1953 connected NBC.
The parade astatine archetypal featured Central Park Zoo animals escorted by Macy's employees and nonrecreational entertainers for 6 miles from 145th Street successful northbound Manhattan's Harlem to Macy's. A 4th of a cardinal onlookers lined the streets. Real animals were replaced with balloons successful 1927; that aforesaid year, the sanction of the lawsuit was changed to Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The longest-running parade interval is the event's unofficial mascot, Tom Turkey. Tom features moving wings, head, and eyes and usually functions arsenic the pb interval successful the parade. Bringing up the caboose successful virtually each the parades is Santa Claus who ushers successful the vacation buying play with his accomplishment astatine Macy's Herald Square.
The parade offers a glimpse into popular civilization of the time, from beloved children's amusement to deed Broadway shows and philharmonic acts. The Radio City Rockettes, formed successful 1925, person performed successful the parade annually since 1957.
In 1933, the extracurricular somesthesia was 69 degrees F, the warmest it's been; 2018 was the coldest time successful parade past astatine 19 degrees F.
In 2022, for the archetypal time, the lawsuit featured a trio of women hosts. Today, much than 44 cardinal radical tune successful to ticker the parade. Keep speechmaking to larn much astir the parade's past and spot immoderate iconic shots of the event.
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1924: Macy's archetypal parade
In Macy's archetypal Thanksgiving parade, Santa Claus sat atop a interval pulled by a squad of horses down Broadway. That twelvemonth floats, bands, and Central Park Zoo animals were featured successful the procession.
At the parade's end, Santa Claus was crowned "King of the Kiddies" connected Macy's balcony astatine the 34th Street entrance. Macy's rapidly announced the parade would beryllium an yearly event.
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1928: Fish and tigers
The ample balloons that replaced unrecorded zoo animals successful 1927 were filled with regular aerial and had nary merchandise valves—they were simply fto spell to popular successful the aerial pursuing the parade. 1928 marked the archetypal twelvemonth of Macy's inflating balloons with helium to let them to float. They were besides outfitted with valves truthful the helium could gradually flight alternatively than waiting for the balloon to inevitably pop, and featured a instrumentality code truthful anyone who recovered them could instrumentality them and person a reward.
In this photograph from 1928, a 35-foot food and 60-foot-long tiger were featured prominently successful the parade. A $100 prize was offered for each balloon recovered aft its release.
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1931: Hippo connected parade
The Thanksgiving parade enjoyed accelerated maturation passim the 1930s, with much than 1 cardinal revelors lining the parade way successful 1933. In this 1931 photo, a elephantine hippopotamus balloon makes its mode down Broadway. A bluish hippo balloon—possibly this one—released aft the parade was inactive astatine ample respective days later, thought to beryllium determination implicit the Atlantic Ocean.
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1932: Balloon mishaps extremity rewards
In this image, the Felix the Cat balloon is led down Broadway by its 4 handlers tailed by Terrible Turk and Willie Red Bird. The archetypal Felix the Cat quality balloon made its parade debut successful 1927, but was destroyed aft its post-parade merchandise by a precocious hostility ligament successful 1931. The Terrible Turk besides was destroyed the aforesaid twelvemonth by an electrical sign.
In 1932, Macy's Tom Cat balloon got stuck successful the propeller of a level erstwhile the aviator flying the level tried recovering the balloon for a reward. While the level yet landed safely, that lawsuit marked the last twelvemonth of releasing balloons aft the parades and offering prizes for their instrumentality to Macy's.
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1939: View from the top
Pinnochio, Tin Man, and Uncle Sam marque their mode on the parade way successful 1939. Mickey Mouse made his debut 5 years earlier with a balloon designed successful portion by Walt Disney; Mickey's handlers were besides dressed arsenic mice. New iterations of Mickey appeared implicit the adjacent 70 years arsenic the quality evolved.
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was canceled from 1942-1944 due to the fact that of proviso shortages during World War II, namely helium and rubber. Festivities returned successful 1945. The Christmas classical "Miracle connected 34th Street" was released successful 1947 and prominently features existent footage from the 1946 parade. 1948 marked the parade's archetypal web tv broadcast.
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1949: Teddy carnivore connected parade
The 23rd yearly Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was held Nov. 24, 1949. In this photo, a teddy carnivore makes its mode done Times Square. This parade marked the 2nd quality for the bear. Other balloons made their debut: Freida the Dachshund, Howdy Doody connected the Flying Trapeze, and Macy's Hobo Clown.
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1952: Space explorer
Macy's archetypal quality The Giant Spaceman made his debut successful 1952's parade, measuring 70 feet agelong and 40 feet wide and weighing 600 pounds. More than 25 gallons of overgarment went into coating the astronaut.
An estimated 2.25 cardinal radical lined the streets for the festivities that year.
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1955: Flying high
Throngs of onlookers battalion the sidewalks successful Manhattan's Times Square during this 1955 parade. Mighty Mouse, an animated superhero created by Terrytoons, is seen successful the backmost near of the photo. Mighty Mouse made his debut successful the Thanksgiving Day parade successful 1951; helium appeared successful 80 abbreviated films betwixt 1942-1961.
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1958: 'I americium what I am'
Popeye makes his mode done Times Square successful the 1959 parade. A twelvemonth earlier, different helium shortage meant balloons were inflated with aerial and hung from operation cranes to marque their mode done the parade route.
Also successful 1958, the archetypal personage performances were added with the Benny Goodman sextet. Live euphony proved a situation technically and logistically. The parade was transitioning to the now-familiar articulator syncing by 1964.
William Lovelace/Daily Express/Hulton Archive // Getty
1961: Peacockery
The iconic peacock interval makes its debut successful this photograph of the 1961 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. That aforesaid year, Miss Teenage America Diane Lynn Cox appeared successful princess attire sharing a interval with "Prince Charming" histrion Troy Donahue.
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1961: 'A Fantasy of Christmas'
Teen performers look successful classical roller skates successful this representation from the 1961 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The motion supra the skaters reads "Macy's presents A Fantasy of Christmas successful New York."
William Lovelace/Express // Getty Images
1961: Shoulder to shoulder
This 1961 photograph shows shoulder-to-shoulder parade onlookers astatine the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The twelvemonth marks the archetypal balloon featuring Bullwinkle Moose and the archetypal twelvemonth for floats with Pinocchio, The Racetrack Grandstand, Cinderella, Peacock, Ferris Wheel, Brigadoon, Meet the Mets, and Santa's Sleigh.
Several years later, successful 1968, Macy's originative squad figured retired however to plan floats up to 40 feet gangly and 28 feet wide that could fold into 12.5-by-8-foot boxes for strategical proscription from New Jersey to Manhattan via the Lincoln Tunnel.
Stan Wolfson/Newsday RM via Getty Images
1972: 'Hey, Rocky!'
A Bullwinkle Moose balloon floats down Broadway successful this 1972 photograph of the parade. The 46th yearly parade featured 5 firsts for floats: Alphabet Blocks, Snow Mountain, Windmill, Curious George, and Santa's Holiday Home.
Bill Senft // Newsday RM via Getty Images
1974: A 'hareless' tortoise
A solo tortoise interval makes its mode down the thoroughfare adjacent Columbus Circle successful this 1974 parade photo. Not pictured is the accompanying hare. This marked the seventh quality of the duo.
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1982: It's not casual being green
A elephantine inflatable balloon of Kermit the Frog makes its mode down the 1982 parade way successful this photo. The parade marked Kermit's sixth appearance. First-time balloons included Olive Oyl and Woody Woodpecker.
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1989: Woody Woodpecker is simply a assemblage favorite
Woody Woodpecker greets the assemblage arsenic helium floats past One Times Square during the 63rd yearly Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade successful 1989. In the coming years, information concerns troubled '90s-era parades—namely the wind.
Strong gusts successful 1993 pushed a Sonic the Hedgehog balloon into a Columbus Circle lamppost that broke and wounded a kid and off-duty constabulary officer. Four years later, aggravated winds caused a Cat successful the Hat balloon to deed a lamppost, hurling debris into the aerial that fractured the skull of a spectator who spent 24 days successful a coma. The incident, among others, led then-New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani to signifier a task force.
Evan Agostini/Liaison // Getty Images
1995: 'Soaring Spirit'
The Soaring Spirit Canoe float, pictured present successful 1995, made its debut successful the parade successful 1986. Popular '90s balloons included Bart Simpson, Cat successful the Hat, and The Rugrats.
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2001: 9/11 looms large
New York City archetypal responders transportation 2 American flags during the Nov. 22, 2001, 75th Anniversary of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which was besides held connected the heels of 9/11. They honored those killed successful the Sept. 11 violent attacks that year. New Yorkers crowded the streets to ticker the parade, which featured 15 elephantine balloons and marching bands that each added an aerial of patriotism to the event.
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2005: Dora's debut
Dora the Explorer makes her balloon debut successful this 2005 photo. That aforesaid year, the M&M's cocoa candies balloon collided with a streetlight successful Times Square, and debris from it injured 2 siblings.
Michael Nagle // Getty Images
2011: Elf sprinkles
A pistillate dressed successful an elf costume sprinkles spectators with confetti successful Times Square during Macy's 85th Thanksgiving Day parade connected Nov. 24, 2011. Sonic the Hedgehog and Julius the sock monkey, which was created by Paul Frank, made their balloon entrances that year.
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2015: Familiar faces
Snoopy and Woodstock made their mode on the 89th yearly Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade way Nov. 26, 2015. To date, Snoopy boasts the astir years flown arsenic a quality balloon successful the event.
Noam Galai // Getty Images
2016: A astir monolithic audience
In this 2016 photo, spectators similar this 1 recorded videos of the parade connected their phones. More than 24 cardinal radical were estimated to person streamed the parade that twelvemonth connected TV.
Dia Dipasupil // Getty Images
2017: Pikachu and truthful overmuch more
The Pikachu balloon floats down Central Park West for its 4th clip during the 91st yearly Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade successful 2017. That year's lineup featured 1,100 cheerleaders and dancers, much than 1,000 clowns, 28 bequest balloons, 26 floats, 17 elephantine helium balloons, 12 marching bands, and six show groups.
Eugene Gologursky // Getty Images for Macy's Inc.
2020: The amusement indispensable spell on
Performers successful this photograph hole astatine the 94th yearly Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade connected Nov. 26, 2020. The lawsuit was 1 of fewer nationalist occasions to beryllium kept connected docket during the COVID-19 pandemic, albeit successful a tempered manner. Much of the performances were pre-taped and the parade way was massively reduced. Participants wore masks and balloon handlers were chopped by astir 90%.
James Devaney // Getty Images
2023: 97 years
Santa Claus celebrates astatine the 97th yearly Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade successful this photograph from Nov. 23, 2023. First-time elephantine balloons included Beagle Scout Snoopy, Leo (Netflix), Monkey D. Luffy, Po from "Kung Fu Panda," and The Pillsbury Doughboy.
Copy editing by Lois Hince.
