Presidential Trivia Answers (Nov. 24-25)

Thanks for playing!

(1) QUESTION: Which President began the tradition of pardoning a turkey at Thanksgiving?

ANSWER: George H.W. Bush. Of course, turkeys had been presented to Presidents for many decades before that. A few of those turkeys had even received reprieves and were not made a part of Thanksgiving dinner. In 1963, for instance, John F. Kennedy received a turkey and joked: “Let’s keep him going.” Despite these sporadic instances of turkey “pardons,” Bush was the one who finally turned the pardon into an annual tradition in 1989. “But let me assure you, and this fine tom turkey, that he will not end up on anyone’s dinner table,” the President joked, “not this guy—he’s granted a Presidential pardon as of right now—and allow him to live out his days on a children’s farm not far from here.”

(2) QUESTION: Which President moved Thanksgiving up by a week to make retailers happy?

ANSWER: Franklin D. Roosevelt. It was a move to help the country during the Great Depression. My full story about “Franksgiving” is HERE

(3) QUESTION: Which President issued the first Thanksgiving Proclamation?

ANSWER: George Washington. In 1789, he designated November 26 as a day of national thanksgiving. He thought it important for Americans to give thanks to “that great and glorious Being” who had helped Americans during the American Revolution and during the Constitutional Convention. He asked Americans to “unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks.” Abraham Lincoln would later issue a Thanksgiving Proclamation that helped to establish the American holiday that we know and love today. But George Washington was the first!

Friendly reminder for your holiday shopping . . . . Looking for options for the history lover in your life? Or want to give your kid, grandkid, niece, or nephew a fun, illustrated book that celebrates our wonderful American heritage? Signed copies of my book are available HERE. Happy Sunday!