BARNEY'S VIOLENT DEATH: To really hammer home how important the wind speeds were yesterday to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, back in 1997 Barney was torn apart on 51st Street. Winds reached as high as 43 mph. Other balloons also succumbed to the wind. The Pink Panther fell at 42nd Street. Quik Bunny and the Cat in the Hat limped away at 36th Street. | Zach Covey

Barney Died a Violent Death at the 1997 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

blowingfact on Instagram: "The 1997 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade gave Barney one of the most infamous moments in parade history, when powerful winds slammed the giant purple dinosaur balloon into a lamppost, tearing it open and forcing handlers to bring it down in the middle of the street. As the fabric ripped and the balloon deflated, police and parade volunteers had to pile on top of it to stop it from blowing away, shocking the crowd and instantly turning the collapse into a legendary piece