Ticker-Tape Parade History: They're Much Less Common Than in the Past

July 10, 2015 11:00 AM EDT

When the U.S. women’s soccer team is honored on Friday with a ticker-tape parade in New York City, to celebrate their World Cup victory, it will be the first such parade in more than three years, and only the fifth of the 2000s. For the city to pull out all the stops is rare these days, so it’s that much more of a big deal.

But, as the chart below shows, it used to be that ticker-tape parades happened practically all the time. In 1953 alone, there were 11 parades, honoring everyone from the King and Queen of Greece to, in honor of the 150th anniversary of City Hall, employees of New York City. Here’s how the frequency of ticker-tape parades has changed over the years:

See 13 Historic Parades for Star Athletes

July 1930 --- Original caption: Parade up Broadway in welcome to Bobby Jones. --- Image by © Bettmann/CORBIS — British Open champion Bobby Jones is welcomed to New York on July 2, 1930.Bettmann/Corbis

American swimmer Gertrude Ederle, the first female to swim across the English Channel, is honoured for her historic swim and crowned 'Queen of the Waves', September 8, 1926 in New York City. (Photo by Topical Press Agency/Getty Images) — American swimmer Gertrude Ederle, the first female to swim across the English Channel, is crowned 'Queen of the Waves' in New York City on Sept. 8, 1926. The month before, she had been honored with a ticker-tape parade.Topical Press Agency/Getty Images

American athlete and Olympic gold medal winner Jesse Owens waves at fans during a ticker tape parade in honor of the U.S. athletes who competed in the Berlin Olympic Games, in New York, on Sept. 3, 1936.Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images

Baseball's grand old man, Connie Mack, stands up in a car, lower left, to acknowledge the cheers of New Yorkers lining lower Broadway, New York City, as a parade held in his honor moves past Pine Street towards City Hall and an official welcome, Aug. 19, 1949. Seated in the car with him are Grover Whalen, chairman of the mayor's reception committee; Del Webb, co-owner of the Yankees; and Edward G. Barrow, former Yankees executive. In following car are Yankee players Joe DiMaggio and his young son Joe Jr., Charlie Silvera, Joe Page and Johnny Lindell. (AP Photo) — Baseball's Connie Mack stands up in a car to acknowledge the cheers of New Yorkers lining lower Broadway, New York City, on Aug. 19, 1949. AP

Four year old Kevin Currey made an appearance at today's parade for the N.L. Champions, all decked out in a Giant uniform cut to size. He caught the eye of Alvin Dark and Willie Mays and they scooped him up into their car during the big parade. A big day, indeed for Kevin and the champs. September 1954 — Alvin Dark and Willie Mays of the National League champion New York Giants, with a young fan (Kevin Currey, 4) during a parade on Sept. 27, 1954,Sam Goldstein—Bettmann/Corbis

Althea Gibson waves to acknowledge the cheers of crowd linin — Althea Gibson, tennis great, waves to the crowd on July 11, 1957.NY Daily News/Getty Images

09 Mar 1960 --- Original caption: Ice Queen Honored By Blizzard. New York: Confetti showers down on Carol Heiss, 20 year old ice skating champion, as she rides up lower Broadway during a ticker tape parade given in her honor. Miss Heiss has won her fifth successive World Championship, her fourth successive National Title, and her first Olympics Gold Medal since leaving her home in Ozone Park, Queens, in January. Upon her arrival at City Hall she received another trophy, the Medallion of the City of New York, presented by Mayor Robert Wagner. --- Image by © Bettmann/CORBIS — Carol Heiss, Olympic ice skating champion, receives a parade on Mar. 9, 1960.Bettmann/Corbis

Young Little Little Members Participating in Their Championship Parade — William Ebner, Gregory Klee, and Daniel Yaccarino, members of the Little League World Championship team, Staten Island's Mid-Island All-Stars, during a parade on Sept. 3, 1964.Bettmann/Corbis

The New York Yankees ride in a motorcade of a ticker tape parade in lower Manhattan on October 19, 1978. New York City welcomed the team home as champions of the 75th World Series. — The New York Yankees ride in a ticker-tape parade in lower Manhattan on Oct. 19, 1978, after winning the World Series.Ron Frehm—AP

UNITED STATES - OCTOBER 28: Thousands greet pitcher Ron Darling at New York Mets' parade as he arrives at City Hall. — Pitcher Ron Darling at the New York Mets' parade on Oct. 28, 1986, after the team won the World Series.Mel Finkelstein—NY Daily News/Getty Images

Adam Graves (far left) and Captain Mark Messier (sunglasses) with Ranger teammates during a ticker-tape parade in honor of their Stanley Cup win, on June 17, 1994. Brian Leetch holds the cup,Keith Torrie—NY Daily News/Getty Images

SChicago Cubs' Sammy Sosa gestures from a float, between flags from the United States and the Dominican Republic, during a parade in his honor in New York Saturday Oct. 17, 1998. SA — The Chicago Cubs' Sammy Sosa, between flags from the United States and the Dominican Republic, during a parade in his honor on Oct. 17, 1998, after he tied the single-season home-run record.Mitch Jacobson—AP

NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 05: (L-R) Mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg, Michael Strahan, and Eli Manning of the New York Giants ride in a float along Broadway, also known as "The Canyon of Heroes" during Super Bowl XLII victory parade in New York City. — Mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg, with Michael Strahan and Eli Manning of the New York Giants, during the Super Bowl XLII victory parade in New York City on Feb. 5, 2008.Al Bello—Getty Images

It’s Much Harder to Get a Ticker-Tape Parade Than It Used to Be

See 13 Historic Parades for Star Athletes

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