TRIVIA TODAY - Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Greetings Infomaniacs,

Can anyone believe that it's already November and Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away? My favorite part of the day (aside from all the eating, of course) is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. I grew up watching it with my parents every year.

I remember being young enough that I couldn't wait for Santa to make his big appearance at the end so that I could yell out "It's Santa!" Guess I knew how to state the obvious...

Here are some interesting facts about the parade. You never know if they will come in handy to impress your family this year!

Enjoy!
Melissa

Questions? Comments? Email Melissa

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WHO SAID IT?
QUOTE: "And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow."

HINT: (1874-1936), was an English writer, lay theologian, poet, philosopher, dramatist, journalist, orator, literary and art critic, biographer, and Christian apologist.

RANDOM TIDBITS
When the first parade was held on Thanksgiving Day in 1924 it was called the "Macy's Christmas Parade." The event was organized by a small group of Macy's employees, who, dressed in costumes, marched from 145th Street and Convent Avenue to the company's flagship store on 34 Street, along with a mix of entertainers, floats and -- of course -- Santa Claus.

The first parade in 1924 also looked more like a circus. That's because it featured a menagerie of animals including monkeys, bears, camels and elephants borrowed from the Central Park Zoo.

Starting with the 1927 parade, the live animals were out. But they were replaced by inflatable critters. This was the year that the parade's signature giant helium balloons made their debut with Felix the Cat leading the way. He was joined by a flying dragon, elephant and toy soldier.

In the past, organizers would intentionally release the enormous inflatable characters into the sky after the parade instead of deflating them. At first, the balloons would pop pretty quickly, but starting in 1929, safety valves were added so the helium could slowly seep out, allowing them to float for a few days. The balloons were also tagged with return address labels, so when they finally did land, they could be sent back to Macy's, which would reward its finders with gifts that included $100 checks.

The parade scenes in the 1947 holiday classic, "Miracle on 34th Street," are actual shots of the 1946 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. After careful preparation, the film's producers set up cameras along the parade route -- mindful of the fact that they wouldn't have the ability to shoot retakes since it was a live event. And unbeknownst to most spectators, the Santa Claus riding
in the parade that year was actor Edmund Gwenn, who played Santa in the film.

While the parade's balloons, floats and number of participants and spectators continue to grow each year, the route itself has been substantially downsized. When the first parade was held in 1924, the route stretched nearly 6 miles. But in 1946, the starting point was moved to Central Park West and 77th Street, slashing the distance by more than half. That was also the first
year the parade, which drew a record-setting 2 million spectators, was televised locally. The following year it was broadcast to a national audience.

(Newsday)

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What goes up but never comes down?

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WHO SAID IT?
QUOTE: "And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow."

ANSWER: G. K. Chesterton.

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