History was made exactly 100 years ago when Macy’s held its first-ever holiday parade – but for the first two years, it would be a Christmas event.
It would not officially become the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade until 1926, an event that we celebrate to this day right here on NBC.
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So we’ll have to wait two more years for the “official” centennial parade, but unofficially, some are calling this the 100th anniversary.
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The New York parade is the country’s largest, but the oldest is Philadelphia’s, which began in 1920. The first radio broadcast was in 1932. 1946 is when it debuted on TV.
The coldest parade at Herald Square was 19° in 2018; the warmest 69° in 1933.
While weather plays a factor every year, it is the wind that has caused the most problems.
In 1993, Sonic The Hedgehog hit a lamppost, and two people were injured.
Four years later, four people were injured when The Cat In The Hat also hit a lamppost.
This led to new rules after 1997: Balloons can only fly if the winds are under 23 mph and gusts are under 34 mph.
Over the years, many famous balloons have flown over New York City, including the debuts of Mickey Mouse in 1934, Popeye in 1957 and Kermit in 1977.
