where did the story of rudolph come from

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a beloved holiday character whose story has captured the hearts of children for generations. The story of Rudolph was first told in 1939 by Robert May, an employee of Montgomery Ward, a department store chain in the United States. May created Rudolph as a way to promote the store's Christmas toy catalog, which featured a new toy that year called the Balsam and Lead Rudolph. The story was a hit, and soon became a Christmas classic that has been retold and adapted in many different ways over the years.