Facts about Rudolph

 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Facts

Weirdly, a reindeer has a nose that shines bright red and can light up the night sky while guiding Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve. Did you know that Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer first appeared 1939 in a booklet for a Chicago area in Montgomery Ward? Yep, that is right!! Montgomery Ward asked one of their copywriters, who at the time was Robert L. May, to write a story they could hand out to their customers during the holiday season. That is where Rudolph started his journey to the cute, fun Rudolph we know and love today.  

 

Who is your favorite reindeer?

 

Facts about Rudolph and his creator:

1. Robert L. May is Rudolph’s creator. He created Rudolph in 1939.

2. In 1939, Montgomery Ward Department Store sold over 2 million copies of Robert L. May’s Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer book during the holiday season.

3. Sometime around 1947, the CEO of Montgomery Ward gave Robert L. May the rights to the book he had written for them. Also, in 1947, Maxton Publishers published Robert L. May’s Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Poem book just in time for the holiday season!

4. Robert May’s brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, was a songwriter. Robert May asked his brother-in-law to write a song about Rudolph, and he did. Gene Autry sang Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, which became number one on the charts during Christmas in 1949.

5. Robert L. May wrote two sequels to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The first is Rudolph’s Second Christmas, and the second is Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Shines Again.

6. On Sunday, December 6, 1964, the animated movie Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer aired on NBC for the first time. It has been airing for 57 years this year (2021).

7. On November 6, 2014, Rudolph was honored by the United States Postal Service. They issued four stamps that featured characters from the 1964 animated Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer movie.

 

Can you share a fact about Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer with us?

 

Books about Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer:

1. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Robert L. May

2. Rudolph's Second Christmas by Robert L. May

3. Rudolph Shines Again by Robert L. May

Parents ensure books are child-friendly before reading them to their/children.