Who came up with Rudolph the red nose raindeer?

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was created by Robert L. May in 1939. May was a copywriter for the Montgomery Ward department store chain. He wrote the poem as a Christmas present for his four-year-old daughter, Barbara. The poem was originally titled "A Story about Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." May's boss at Montgomery Ward liked the poem and suggested that it be published. It was first published as a booklet in 1939 and has since become a Christmas classic.