Blog Post

History of ticker-tape parades
Posted by Jim Drury on February 2 2012

Did you know that America has hosted a ticker-tape parade at the end of every war in the last century? We’ve even had parades for baseball player Sammy Sosa and the President of Indonesia. If our nation can honor them, they can honor the veterans of our nation’s longest wars. And when Afghanistan ends in 2013, we’ll do it again.

• October 29, 1886 – First ticker-tape parade, to celebrate the dedication of the Statue of Liberty.
• June 18, 1910 – President Roosevelt is welcomed home from his safari trip in Africa.
• October 28, 1921 – New York welcomes Marshal Ferdinand Foch, Supreme Commander of Allied Forces during World War I.
• June 13, 1927 – Charles Lindbergh celebrates after he completes the first transatlantic flight across the Atlantic.
• June 10, 1945 – After victory in Europe, General Eisenhower receives a parade in New York.
• August 15, 1945 – V-J Day.
• April 22, 1954 – Fresh from Korea, the U.S. 4th Infantry Division is honored with a parade.
• May 23, 1956 – The President of Indonesia receives a parade.
• March 1, 1962 – Astronaut John Glenn receives a hero’s welcome for becoming the first American to orbit the earth.
• May 19, 1969 – New York greets the president of South Korea with a parade.
• May 7, 1985 – Veterans of Vietnam march in New York City.
• October 17, 1998 – Chicago Cubs player Sammy Sosa, for hitting 66 runs and his humanitarian efforts in the Dominican Republic.
• November 16, 1998 – Astronaut John Glenn receives another hero’s welcome for becoming the oldest person to go into space.
• November 6, 2009 – New York Yankees celebrate their 27th World Series Championship.
• July 7, 2011 – Thousands march in Washington, D.C. to honor the Dalai Lama on his 76th birthday.
• January 28, 2012 – St. Louis becomes the first city to hold a parade for veterans of Iraq.

Think veterans of Iraq deserve the next ticker-tape parade? Sign IAVA's petition calling for a National Day of Action to honor Iraq veterans' service and sacrifice.

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