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Aticker-tape parade is aparade event held in an urban setting, characterized by large amounts of shredded paper thrown onto the parade route from the surrounding buildings, creating a celebratory flurry of paper. Originally, actualticker tape was used; however, now it is commonly substituted withconfetti.
The concept originates in and is most usually associated with theUnited States, especiallyNew York City. Outside the United States, ticker-tape parades are often associated with the1978 FIFA World Cup held inArgentina.[1][2][3]
The term originated inNew York City after a spontaneous celebration held on October 28, 1886, during the dedication of theStatue of Liberty[4] and is still most closely associated with New York City. The termticker tape originally referred to the use of the paper output ofticker-tape machines, which were remotely driven devices used in brokerages to provide updatedstock marketquotes. The termticker came from the sound made by the machine as it printed.[5]
In New York City, ticker-tape parades are reserved for special occasions. Soon after the first such parade in 1886, city officials realized the utility of such events and began to hold them ontriumphal occasions, such as the return ofTheodore Roosevelt fromhis African safari,Gertrude Ederle swimming theEnglish Channel, andCharles Lindbergh's trans-Atlantic flight. The first individual to be honored with a ticker-tape parade was AdmiralGeorge Dewey, hero of thebattle of Manila Bay, in 1899, when two million people came out to New York City.[6] FollowingWorld War II, several ticker-tape parades were given in honor of victoriousgenerals andadmirals, including GeneralDwight D. Eisenhower and AdmiralChester Nimitz. Two of the longest and largest ticker-tape parades were given forWorld War II andKorean War GeneralDouglas MacArthur in 1951, after he wasrelieved of duty by PresidentHarry S. Truman, and for astronautJohn Glenn in 1962.[7] Golfing greatsBobby Jones (1921 and 1930) andBen Hogan (1953) were honored with ticker-tape parades after theirBritish Open triumphs.
The section of lowerBroadway through theFinancial District that serves as the parade route for these events is colloquially called the "Canyon of Heroes". More than 200 black granite strips embedded in the sidewalks along the Canyon of Heroes list honorees of past ticker-tape parades.[8] By the early 21st century, such parades became far more infrequent, largely limited to championship sports teams, and celebrations of the return of astronauts and military troops.
Ticker tape technology became obsolete in the 1960s, as television and computers came into use for transmitting financial information. Modern parades utilize waste office paper and toilet paper that have been cut using conventionalpaper shredders.[9]The city also distributes paper confetti.[10]
The plaque is one of the more than 200 granite strips in a route known as the Canyon of Heroes, marking those who have been honored by the city with ticker-tape parades.