Office workers realized that the tape made a dramatic swirling motion when thrown out the windows of tall buildings, so the first ticker-tape parade seemed to start as a spontaneous gesture to celebrate the dedication of the Statue of Liberty in 1886.

When did they stop using ticker-tape?

Paper ticker tape became obsolete in the 1960s, as television and computers were increasingly used to transmit financial information. The concept of the stock ticker lives on, however, in the scrolling electronic tickers seen on brokerage walls and on news and financial television channels.

When was the first ticker-tape parade?

The first parade was on October 29, 1886, marking the dedication of the Statue of Liberty. In 1899, two million people turned out for Admiral George Dewey, hero of the battle of Manila Bay, who became the first individual honored with a ticker-tape parade.