The term ticker tape is derived from the piece of paper named after the same name.Ticker tape is a 1 in (2.54 cm) long piece of paper used to print stock market quotes on a ticker tape machine. Although these machines don’t exist anymore, the term has stayed due to the unique tradition which originated in New York City.Many people noticed that these papers swirled lightly in the air like confetti and were abundant on Wall Street. From this idea emerged the tradition of a ticker-tape parade, where people threw these ticker tapes from their office windows, generally in celebration of some event or to commemorate someone’s deed for the country. The parade route starts from lower Broadway through the Financial District, which is named ‘Canyon of Heroes’ after this tradition of celebrating these people who brought pride to their country emerged in New York City. On the sidewalks of Canyon of Heroes, more than 200 black granite stripes have been embedded, listing the names of all the honorees of all the ticker tape parades of New York.After reading more about the history of the ticker-tape parade, also check facts about why do we celebrate Halloween in America and the area of New York state in square miles.Why was the 1st ticker-tape parade done?When many people noticed the use which these ticker tapes could be off, the first ticker-tape parade was a spontaneous festivity started by the workers of the Financial District to celebrate the dedication of the Statue of Liberty.The first ticker-tape parade happened on October 28, 1886.Apart from this, New York City has seen more than 200 ticker-tape parades to date. The first official ticker-tape parade was held in 1919 to celebrate American soldiers’ return from World War I.One of the most famous ticker-tape parades, which drew crowds of almost 2 million people, happened in 1927 to celebrate Charles Lindbergh, who was a solo pilot on a flight from New York to Paris, his famous trip across the Atlantic.Does ticker-tape still exist?Ticker tape was abundant back in the 19th and first half of the 20th century. As Wall Street in New York City was the center of trade and the stock market, these ticker tapes were chugged out every few seconds from the ticker tape machines, providing the updates of stock market quotes.By the end of the 1960s, computers and television screens were introduced to update the people, and the requirement of ticker tapes kept falling in New York City. Since then, ticker tapes became obsolete, and nobody used them to keep up with the stock market. Hence, nobody uses ticker tapes anymore, and they don’t exist today.So, since then, people have been using recyclable shredded paper for celebrations during ticker-tape parades, even though the actual use of ticker tapes is not seen nowadays in New York City.Who was involved in the 1st ticker-tape parade?The 1st ever ticker tape parade conducted was a spontaneous event held by several office workers who used ticker tape. They threw ticker tape from the windows of their office to commemorate the dedication of the Statue of Liberty in 1886.Many people participated in this event held on Broadway street and attracted the attention of all the office workers on the street of what is today called Canyon Of Heroes.Ever since then, the tradition of celebrating various events began. The first person for whom ticker-tape parade celebrations were held was Admiral George Dewy, a war hero at the Battle of Manila Bay in 1899.Since then, many politicians, sportspersons and teams, and people who had achieved praiseworthy feats for the country were celebrated with a procession of a ticker-tape parade along with the city officials through the streets of New York City.In 1921, Albert Einstein was the first and only scientist for whom a ticker-tape parade was conducted. In 1924, the ticker-tape parade was held in honor of the American Olympic team. Additionally, on June 23, 1926, Richard Byrd was honored with a ticker-tape parade after flying over the North Pole with Floyd Bennett. The same year on August 27, Gertrude Ederle was honored with a ticker-tape parade for being the first woman to swim the English Channel in history.Do ticker-tape parades still happen?Due to the dwindling amount of ticker tape by the end of the 1970s and 1980s, the amount of ticker-tape parades also reduced in New York City. Instead, people started throwing shredded recyclable paper and confetti through their office windows.In 2019, just before the pandemic hit the world, a ticker-tape parade was held in honor of the American women’s soccer team as they had won the world cup for their country.The last ticker-tape parade was held very recently, on July 7, 2021, to commemorate the front-line workers who sacrificed so much to keep the people of New York City safe from the rampant spreading Coronavirus. People honored the front-line workers like doctors, nurses, social workers, and everyone who strived during challenging times by throwing shredded paper and confetti, along with a procession of drums and bagpipes. This ticker-tape parade was led by a nurse named Sandra Lindsay, the first citizen in the United States to receive the Coronavirus vaccination.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created many interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 1st ticker-tape parade: fun facts about the iconic celebration, then why not take a look at Statue of Liberty original color or Statue of Liberty tablet.
The term ticker tape is derived from the piece of paper named after the same name.
