Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Was Almost Reginald
- 10 years ago
The reindeer with the bright red shiny nose is now as much a part of Christmas as Santa Claus and candy canes. But before the world knew him as Rudolph, he almost had a different name.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a beloved Christmas character. While most know he used his nose to guide Santa's sleigh, they probably didn't know his name was almost Reginald.
It all began 75 years ago, in 1939, at Chicago department store Montgomery Ward.
One of their copy-writers, Robert L. May, was asked to create a children’s coloring book for stores to give away to boost customer traffic.
May came up with a story about a reindeer with a red nose, who felt like an outcast because he was different.
Rudolph wasn't the only name considered for the titular character. Reginald had been a top choice, and others in the running included Romeo, Rodney and Rollo.
Once the name was chosen, the books were given out, totaling two and a half million copies that year.
From there, the story about the lonely reindeer took off. It was turned into a hardcover book, an animated short and then a Little Golden Book.
Later, a song was written about him and was first recorded by Gene Autry. It's believed 150 million copies of the song have been sold since its release in 1949.
The stop-motion animated television special from 1964 has remained a Christmas classic for generations, and today Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a treasured part of the holiday.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a beloved Christmas character. While most know he used his nose to guide Santa's sleigh, they probably didn't know his name was almost Reginald.
It all began 75 years ago, in 1939, at Chicago department store Montgomery Ward.
One of their copy-writers, Robert L. May, was asked to create a children’s coloring book for stores to give away to boost customer traffic.
May came up with a story about a reindeer with a red nose, who felt like an outcast because he was different.
Rudolph wasn't the only name considered for the titular character. Reginald had been a top choice, and others in the running included Romeo, Rodney and Rollo.
Once the name was chosen, the books were given out, totaling two and a half million copies that year.
From there, the story about the lonely reindeer took off. It was turned into a hardcover book, an animated short and then a Little Golden Book.
Later, a song was written about him and was first recorded by Gene Autry. It's believed 150 million copies of the song have been sold since its release in 1949.
The stop-motion animated television special from 1964 has remained a Christmas classic for generations, and today Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a treasured part of the holiday.