Geo answer

We begin today’s Geo Quiz with a mini quiz. What do the following people have in common?

The athlete Jesse Owens. British wartime leader Winston Churchill. Haile Selassie, late emperor of Ethiopia. And Pope John Paul II.

Answer: they’ve all been honored with a ticker tape parade in New York City.

These days it’s not ticker tape that floats down from the skyscrapers. Stock tickers are a thing of the past.

It’s more likely to be shredded, recycled paper instead.

The latest to be honored were the New York Giants — fresh from winning the Superbowl last year.

For today’s Quiz, we want you to name the first non-American person feted with a ticker tape parade.

That doesn’t include the Statue of Liberty, which got a parade in 1886.

The answer’s coming up…

Today’s Geo Quiz recalls those who’ve been honored with ticker tape parades in New York City.

The parade route in lower Manhattan is known as the Canyon of Heroes.

Source wikipedia: Ticker tape parade for the Apollo 11 astronauts August 13, 1969. Location is Manhattan, New York City on the section of Broadway known as the “Canyon of Heroes”.Source wikipedia: Ticker tape parade for the Apollo 11 astronauts August 13, 1969. Location is Manhattan, New York City on the section of Broadway known as the “Canyon of Heroes”.

Granite plaques embedded in the sidewalks list past honorees.

The World’s Alex Gallafent went for a walk — eyes down — looking for the foreign contingent.

So, for today’s Geo Quiz, we wanted the name of the very FIRST international person honored with a ticker tape parade in Lower Manhattan.

It wasn’t any of the ones Alex mentioned — such as former Indonesian president Sukarno.

The answer is Joseph Joffre, Marshal of France.
His parade took place in May 1917.

Source wikipedia: Joseph JoffreSource wikipedia: Joseph Joffre

And history remembers — quote — “The enthusiastic reception extended to the French military leader reflecting the fever pitch of emotions accompanying US entry into World War One.”