when was rudolph the red-nosed reindeer born

Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer is a fictional character from the popular Christmas song of the same name. The character was created by the American advertising executive Robert L. May in 1939 as a marketing tool for Montgomery Ward department stores. Rudolph was originally an elf in a story written by May, but the character was later changed to a reindeer to fit the Christmas theme. The character of Rudolph did not become popular until after the song was written in 1949 by May's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks.