Macy's Day Parade

In this episode - Macy’s Day Parade . . .

Thanksgiving in America is known for traditions like turkey dinners, football games, and Black Friday sales. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is a long-standing tradition that captures millions of hearts.

For nearly a century, the parade has been a source of joy for people of all ages, attracting millions of viewers in person and on television. The parade features giant balloons, marching bands, Broadway musical casts, and celebrity performers, making it America's biggest Thanksgiving Day spectacle. It is hard to imagine Thanksgiving morning without this iconic parade. But how did it all begin? And how has it become a beloved tradition that people look forward to every year?

It was 1924, and Macy's held its first Thanksgiving Day Parade. The parade featured store employees, entertainers, floats, marching bands, and animals from the Central Park Zoo. Santa Claus concluded the parade by riding into Herald Square. Over a quarter million New Yorkers attended the parade, and Macy's declared it an annual event.

Over the years, the parade has transformed into a magnificent spectacle with large helium-filled balloons instead of zoo animals. The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company created the balloons in the late 1920s, back then released and return address labels were sewn into them so that whoever found them could return them to Macy's and receive a reward.

Macey’s parade grew in popularity throughout the 1930s, and by 1933, it had over a million viewers. The festivities were broadcast over the radio starting in 1932 and continuing until the advent of television. The parade was put on hold from 1942-1944 due to World War II, but it resumed in 1945, breaking records with its crowds.

In 1947, the movie "Miracle on 34th Street" celebrated the parade, which was then known as the "Macy's Day Parade." This marked a turning point, and the tradition became well-known and beloved.

1948, the parade was broadcast on national television for the first time. CBS aired the festivities for the first few years, but since 1952, NBC has broadcast the official telecast. The telecast has gone through a long list of hosts, from Betty White to Ed McMahon to Katie Couric. The current team to lead the TV coverage includes Today Show hosts Al Roker, Savannah Guthrie, and Hoda Kotb.

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2016 had an estimated 45 million viewers, with four million lining the route in NYC. It's the most-watched non-competitive event of its kind on Television every year - a symbol of holiday joy throughout the country.

I’m Patrick Ball. Happy Thanksgiving! See you in the next episode.

Comments

Finding Our Place

In this episode, Finding Our Place: Hope and Humanity in the Age of AI . . . Yesterday, I overheard a conversation that echoed a question many of us are quietly asking: In a world increasingly shaped by algorithms, where do we , as humans, truly fit in? My younger colleagues, sharp and driven, were "joking" about AI taking their jobs. Their concerns felt valid, prompting me to reflect. Will machines really replace us? My answer, unequivocally, is No . And here’s why. What makes us uniquely human isn't merely our ability to perform tasks. It's our innate capacity for creativity and our deep-seated need to serve others. These aren't just abstract ideas; they are the very essence of what gives meaning to our lives and work. While AI excels at processing data and automating tasks with incredible speed, it cannot replicate the spark of human ingenuity. It lacks the empathy to truly understand unspoken needs or the intuitive synergy that fosters breakthrough solutio...

Chasing the Magic

In this episode, Chasing the Magic: How the Summer of ’98 Inspired the 'Ball Boys' . . . Do you remember that feeling? The late-summer air was thick with humidity, radios crackling on porches, the smell of fresh-cut grass and barbecue smoke in the backyard. Every evening carried a new kind of suspense—the country holding its collective breath after every pitch. “Did he hit one today?” became more than a question; it sparked a nationwide conversation. For me, and millions of others, the summer of 1998 wasn’t just another baseball season. It was theater, a movement, a time when the game recaptured something sacred. As sportswriter Mike Lupica said so perfectly, “No matter how old you are or how much you’ve seen, sports is still about memory and imagination. Never more than during the summer of ’98, when baseball made everyone feel like a kid again, when it felt important again.” Just four years earlier, the 1994 players’ strike had left the sport bruised...

The Curious Crew

In today's special episode, The Curious Crew . . . Oh, our young folks are ready, with AI so grand, A new era of wonders across every land! With curious minds, vast as Space, full of creative delight, And a zest for exploring, with all of their light! They welcome new tools, with a gleam in their eye, To learn and to grow, way up to the sky! Our thinking's a marvel, a clever design, We make new plans, so fantastically fine! With problem-space maps and memories, too, We build new ideas, quite fresh and quite new! With smiling faces, showing gratitude's grace, We find our own wonderful, human-filled place! Sharing a meal with generosity and love, A warm human spirit, a gift from above! We stand tall together, collaborate, and help with a grin, For with Agentic AI, together we win! Not machines all alone, but with us by their side, We'll create and serve, with nothing to hide! I'm Patrick Ball. Stay curious and ask questions. See you next time.

Beyond June Gloom

Beyond June Gloom: The Milky Way Awaits! ✨🌌 Has the seemingly endless marine layer got your telescope feeling neglected? For us sky-watchers on the beautiful California coast, May Gray and June Gloom have played a persistent game of hide-and-seek with our celestial views. But there's good news tonight: as summer officially arrives, a stunning cosmic spectacle is about to reveal itself, and you absolutely won't want to miss it! We know the drill: that persistent marine layer turning our sunny days into cool, misty ones. It's a hallmark of our coastal climate, and while it's kept our telescopes under wraps, consider it nature’s way of building epic anticipation for the celestial show that’s about to unfold The Return of the Galactic Core! (Photo courtesy of Gemini) As the days grow longer and the summer air warms, those stubborn clouds will begin to dissipate, revealing a breathtaking sight: the core of our very own Milky Way galaxy! That's right, the vibrant heart...

On The Fly

Search This Blog