Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer is a beloved Christmas story that first appeared in a 1939 booklet by Robert L. May. It truly entered the popular culture canon in 1949 with the song version first performed by Gene Autry, and most of us simply can’t live a Christmas without the 1964 stop-motion CBS television special adaptation.
Rudolph is bullied by his peers for having a bright red nose, but it’s this unique attribute that helps him land a gig with Santa Clause.

Now, scientists finally found the secret behind Rudolph’s glowing schnoz. If only they could find out how the reindeer are able to fly!